


'Fin'ally some Tentacle Porn

by comic4244, gaylie



Series: comic & gaylie's RPs [3]
Category: Underfell - Fandom, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: ...again, Kidnapping, M/M, RP, Roleplay, Tentacles, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-08-22 17:37:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16602533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comic4244/pseuds/comic4244, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaylie/pseuds/gaylie
Summary: Local socially awkward octopus saves a mermaid and decides to keep said mermaid. Mermaid Sans now has to deal with Red's awkwardness and inability to understand basic needs and personal space. A great combination for things to go wrong.





	1. how i met my mermaid

**Author's Note:**

> i swear we have more than kidnapping RPs, you idiots just so happened to vote on the RP's that DO have them. though i think this is the last one???
> 
> this fic is actually the inspiration for the kidnapping au fic we have~

Sans swam as fast as he could, looking back every so often to see if the shark was still after him. It was.

 

Come on! Sans was just swimming here, minding his own business, when this shark decided he is it’s dinner tonight. Nope. Nuh uh. Not gonna happen. Thankfully, Sans was one of the fastest mermaids to exist. Oh yeah, this cute skeleton was a mermaid, this pudgy mermaid lived in a underwater city with other mermaids and sirens. 

 

He never really leaves the city, due to his role/job and he was just very uninterested in leaving all that much. But of course, when Sans  _ does  _ decide to leave, he gets attacked by a fucking shark. At least it's not a great white…

 

But still, a shark was still a shark in Sans’ books, and sharks are creatures Sans  _ does not  _ want to deal with. Sadly, he was alone, no one to help him or even know where he was, it would be a while until people start noticing he is missing. Not enough time for them to come and save him, he would be long dead if he didn’t do something now.

 

The shark was fast, almost on his tail, no matter how many times Sans tried to lose it by either making sharp turns or trying to hide behind rocks, he just couldn’t lose that damn shark. Sans  _ looked  _ like he would be a slow swimmer, he was a little chubby, a fat but not so short tail, with fins on each side of his hips, another set on the ‘ankles’ of his tail, so close to merging with his back fin, and lastly, a long fin on his back. The skeleton had small baby hands, his fingers almost like little nubs, with his arms and pretty much his whole body looking small and short. 

 

All in all, he looked like easy prey, but think again. Sans was actually a pretty fast swimmer, he wasn’t strong by any means, could easily lose in that department if he was caught. But you would need to catch him first to actually get to that part…

 

Sans noticed that he was starting to pass a gorge, it was dark and it had no light the further you went down. But that might just be what he needed to shake the shark off his tail!

 

So the small mermaid swam down, the shark following right after him, both of them swimming down into deeper waters. The only problem Sans really had was that he couldn’t see the shark anymore either, the thought of running into it’s jaws making a shiver run down his back.

 

Sans would blame his rapidly thinking brain for making this mistake later, and would kick himself later for not realizing what he was seeing sooner. But at the moment, Sans wasn’t thinking, so when he saw many glowing dots further down, he thought it was little glowing fishes that stayed in a pack. One of those harmless fishes that just glowed, Sans didn’t think how glowing little fishes would protect him from a shark, but the lights were appealing and screamed safety to him.

 

Maybe because he was in a dark place with no way to see, and the only light sourse here seemed like a blessing at the moment, promising safety from the scariness of the unknown dangers of the dark.

 

Sans swam right to it, expecting to run past the fish and hide behind them, not expecting resistance at all. But what he was met with was the slimy surface of a  _ big  _ creature, one that screamed death. It took a second for Sans to realize what he ran into, but once he did, he panicked.

 

These weren’t little glowing fishes, what Sans mistook as many little fishes for was actually suckers… 

 

Suckers from a very large octopus…

  
  


It didn't happen often that Red would leave his home like that, only ever to hunt. But today happened to be one of those days. Except it looked like he didn't even need to hunt, prey already running into his tentacles like he meant no harm.

 

His tentacles wrapped around the smaller creature tightly, suckers keeping it even more secure as he brought his dinner in close, his beak dealing a quick bite. His venom wasn't deadly, only enough to paralyze, but in this situation specifically, that seemed to have been just the right thing to do.

 

Another creature appeared, a shark, teeth bared and looking like they were senselessly following the scent of his prey, not even seeing Red's bioluminescence. Maybe they couldn't see that well in general? It didn't matter. The shark wanted his dinner, and Red was not ready to hand it over.

 

He kept one tentacle tightly wrapped around his captive, glad that he hadn't killed it yet. He preferred to eat his prey fresh, rather than to already have the meat have lost most of its blood to the ocean.

 

Red  _ growled _ at the shark, clearly showing off that he wasn't peaceful, though neither was the shark. With his tentacles ahead, Red wrapped them around the shark in a way that kept their jaws shut, the shark beginning to struggle aggressively, as Red only held on tighter. He dug his clawed fingers into the fish’s gills, tearing the sensitive area apart, blood already thick in the water.

 

He could feel the shark starting to struggle harder, catching Red enough off guard to get a bite off his tentacles. It wasn't a big deal. It shouldn't be. But it pissed Red off, and he let out an aggressive yowl, before biting into the shark, both beak and teeth, digging into the rough shark skin, as the shark started to thrash and panic.

 

Red was thrown to the back of the shark, still clinging to them, trying for his teeth to dig through them, as the shark began swimming quickly and aimlessly, senses messed up through the pain, the thick blood, and the spreading venom. They crashed themselves into a wall, scraping along it for a while, before getting slower. And eventually going still.

 

Red let go with a huff, watching the shark sink for a moment. Before he decided to finally turn to his hard fought dinner.

 

Only to freeze up.

 

He had expected some kind of fish. Maybe a smaller relative of a whale. But not a mermaid. 

 

Not a tiny, soft and fragile looking mermaid. Possibly the first mermaid Red has ever met since him and his brother left the den of their mother to pursue their own life of solitude.

 

But oddly enough, right now, in this moment. Red didn't care about solitude. He didn't want to hurt this mermaid. Didn't want him to be… gone. Or disfigured.

 

He looked so smooth. So small. Had such a brilliant blue color that almost looked cold to the touch, yet he was warm. Red wanted to keep looking at him.

 

He made a decision in that moment. He kept his tentacle around the mermaid, before diving down to catch up with the barely still alive shark, wrapping enough tentacles around them to drag them with him to his den.

  
  


Sans whimpered when he noticed he had the other’s attention, his body couldn’t struggle, no matter how hard he tried. He was going to die, wasn’t he? He was going to be eaten by this mean and scary octopus. And Sans can’t do anything about it!

 

“p-please… do..n’... kill me…” Sans muttered, unable to talk any louder. His whole body might be paralyzed, but thankfully not enough for him to be unable to speak. Even though his voice was quiet and barely able to make it past his mouth, it still held the sweet harmonized tone. Both mermaids and sirens have this captivating tone, but mermaid songs are for comfort and peace, while the sirens are more offensive and… deadly. So much so that it could break glass, unlike the mermaid’s, which is only for pleasant and non hurtful hearings..

 

The little mermaid tried to struggle some more, try to overcome and power through the poison, but barely being able to lift a fin. Would the pleads even matter? Why would this octopus let him go free if he already paralyzed him? It was no use, he was going to die in the dark, alone, by the hands of this scary creature. The last things he would feel would be tentacles… and maybe some beak and teeth. 

 

Just like the shark…

 

That sounds like a awful way to go, painful. Hell, Sans can’t even deal that much damage, he was weak! One little punch can maybe knock him out to next week, or even kill him. If this guy squeezed tighter, he might just break Sans like a twig, Sans wouldn’t be surprised if he was as strong as a twig too.

  
  


“k,” was all that Red replied to him, though not saying anything else. He was swimming towards his den already, silently, taking both his new mermaid and the shark with him, neither of them dead, though one soon would be.

 

He hoped mermaids ate shark. He’d just have to adapt, if not, Red wasn’t going to let the mermaid starve himself.

  
  


Sans grew quiet, confused, not sure what to say. Did this guy just  _ agree _ to not kill him? Just like that? No strings attached? After what just happened?

 

Sans decided to try his luck, “can… ya l..et… me go?” he tried.

  
  


“nah,” Red replied equally as simple. He wanted to keep the mermaid. He was pretty, he was fascinating, cute and his voice sounded more soothing than anything Red had ever heard before.

 

“yer stayin’.” 

  
  


What? Staying?  _ Why?! _ Why is Sans staying? Is… is he…?

 

“are ya…. go...nna kill… me later…?” Why else would Red keep him alive now? He would eat the shark now, and save Sans for later.

  
  


Would he? Well, he could, Red figured. If he’d grow sick of him or would struggle with food… But the mermaid didn’t seem like something he’d grow sick of easily, neither like someone to eat a lot to give Red trouble with resources.

 

“don’ think so,” the octopus decided to reply. “don’ plan ta, at least.”

  
  


Again,  _ what _ ?! Why would this octopus keep him? They are animals of solitude, it's unheard of to hear or even see one willingly take company. And to make matters worse, he was talking like this was going to be something that will take a while, that will stay like that. Sans, with this beast.

 

Is he going to be tortured? Is that why? Maybe this octopus was different and instead liked conflicting pain for as long as he could! That's why he wanted Sans to live, for more pain!

 

Though Red has been responding nicely so far, so maybe he could ask him one more thing. “wha are… ya plan...nin’ ta do… with me? are ya… pl...an...nin’ to hu..rt…  me?” Or two… Damn it's so hard to talk.

  
  


The questions were starting to irritate Red a little. He didn’t know what he was going to do either, he just wanted to keep this mermaid. But there was one thing he knew.

 

“not plannin’ ta hurt ya,” Red still replied, despite how irritating the many questions were getting. His den was within sight now, a barely visible hole within the walls of a gorge. It wasn’t very big, at the first sight it would look like Red might not even fit into it. But he just barely did, keeping his arms tightly to his body to squeeze his hard bones body through, before the squishy tentacles followed with no problem.

 

The biggest problem was the shark. Red ended up having to tug enough to peel some of it’s skin off, though he didn’t care. Not a lot of bigger predators fit into his den, and he was going to eat the shark by now anyway.

 

The inside of the den was spacier than the entrance. Not very  _ big, _ but big enough for Red to have a mess of algae and seaweed, resembling a bed, as well as a pile of fishbones where he usually ate. He dropped the shark close to the said pile, before letting himself sink to the cave ground, starting to tear pieces of the shark meat out to eat it.

  
  


Sans watched in silence, figuring not a lot of people liked to talk when they were eating. He guessed certainly not this guy, he didn't even look like he held a conversation in a long time. Maybe that was true too, but the matter is still the same, Sans had to lay silently in this creature's hold.

 

He tested out his movements, if the poison was starting to wear off, no luck, but he could very slowly curl his bottom fin if he tried hard enough.

 

Sans decided it didn't really matter, he was staying here against his will and he can't really do anything against this guy, paralyzed or not. Why did this monster even want to keep him? What does he even want with him? He wasn't even looking or paying attention to him! Mind you, Sans is glad he doesn't have the other's attention, but it was still unclear what was going to befall him like this.

 

He hoped it wasn't anything bad.

  
  


The shark was big, even for someone like Red. Sharks in general were usually not on his menu. They were too much of a risk, their skin was rough and their meat bitter. He didn’t mind it, of course, food was food. But it was certainly not preferable.

 

He’d probably eat on it for the next two or three days, too.

 

Red had eaten around the third of it, varying between chewing the meat off with his beak and ripping pieces out with his hands to eat it from his mouth. By the time he was done, almost all of the shark’s head was gone. 

 

Red was almost ready to call it a day, lie down and take a digestion nap, when his movement made him remember the mermaid still in one of his tentacles. Oh. Right.

 

Red took another slab of shark meat, placing it in his mouth. He knew the venom would still have effect on the mermaid, especially one as small as this one. So he chewed it through as much as he could, until only a liquid was left. With the tentacle wrapped around him, Red brought the skeleton close, hands forcing his mouth to open, before giving the chewed meat over.

  
  


No, no, no, no,  _ no! _ Ew, ew, ew! This was disgusting, not only was it shark meat, something he doesn't eat at all, but it was in Red’s mouth and chewed up. But with him unable to stop it, he was forced to eat it, his magic accepting it. Even with his magic’s slowed reaction time, it still took it, in attempt to combat the paralysis.

 

Sans made little noises, like he was trying to tell the other to stop, get away. But with his mouth occupied,  it was just that, noises. This whole situation made Sans feel sick, his tail twitching.

  
  


“don’ like shark, either,” Red told him, figuring that was why the mermaid seemed to struggle that much. But food was food, and Red was pretty sure mermaids needed food.

 

He made sure his little mermaid swallowed the meat just fine, before getting the next piece, repeating the process. He didn’t feed the mermaid as much as he had eaten himself, both because the process was kind of tedious, and he’d rather let him eat more once the venom wore off and he could do so himself, but also because the mermaid was simply a  _ lot _ smaller than him.

 

Once Red decided he had fed the other enough, he wrapped more of his tentacles around the mermaid, using the remaining to crawl over to his nest, his bed, ready for a nap. A long nap.

 

For an octopus, there wasn’t a lot for Red to do. He didn’t socialize, and usually only left his cave if he really needed to. So most of Red’s day consisted of him either sleeping, eating or rarely hunting.

 

He curled up on the seaweed, keeping the tentacles that had the mermaid tightly between them close to his body, but not quite hugging him.

  
  


Sans himself was internally trying to calm himself. Yes, there were now a lot more tentacles on him, but it's fine. He wasn't dying or suffocating. Thank everything above not eating anymore, either.

 

He watched the octopus get comfortable, getting ready to sleep. Was Sans expected to sleep alongside him? That sounds so surreal, sleeping next to a octopus that is holding you hostage. 

 

In the end, Sans was left alone, the octopus falling asleep before him. With Sans unable to move both from paralysis and tentacles. It was so dark it was hard to see, only the faint glow of the suckers on the other's body and his soft blue ecto lighted the cave.

 

Sans doesn't think he would sleep anytime soon…


	2. tmw you wake up with someone next to you and you dont remember shit

Sans ended up passing out from sheer fear and exhaustion. Sleeping peacefully in the other's hold, like he had no worries. He slept for a while, even waking up later than the octopus, like he forgot danger was near.

  
  


He was still asleep when Red woke up, the octopus deciding to just lie there quietly at first. He didn’t immediately remember the last day, so when Red woke up with a mermaid tucked in his tentacles, sleeping peacefully, he… was certainly taken by surprise.

 

He uncurled some of the tentacles from Sans, though still keeping two around him. He just wanted to see him more. Admire him more.

 

His soft blue fishtail seemed to shimmer almost prismatically, reflecting the gentle glow of Red’s own suckers nicely. He looked so soft, so chubby and squishy, something Red realized he hadn’t gotten to appreciate yet. Sure, he always kept at least one tentacle around Sans, though the tentacles weren’t always the best fitted for Red to appreciate softness.    
  
So he moved his mermaid up to his chest instead, his hands already running over the tail, feeling the separate scales, the natural thin layer of sliminess, the soft squish of the ecto…

  
  


Sans slowly started to wake up, due to the touches going up and down his body. At one point he felt a hand on his backside, which instantly woke him right up. He could move again, so that only meant that he could now struggle and thrash around. He didn’t know what was happening, he just woke up, it didn’t register that he was deeper in the ocean than he usually was, that he was in the clutches of a octopus.

 

Sans’ eyelights met Red’s, making the little pudgy mermaid gasp, his very small hands going to grab the wandering hands. Only for his hands to curl around a finger each, he had  _ very  _ small hands compared to the other creature with him, Sans’ hands only big enough to wrap his short fingers around  _ one finger  _ of Red’s. To say the size comparison was big was a understatement.

 

It was  _ huge! _

 

“a-ah, n-no!” Sans stuttered, looking straight at Red with fear.

  
  


Red didn’t really know what Sans was referring to exactly, but since he could feel the other’s hands on his’, he figured it had something to do with them. So he stopped their movement, stopped exploring the little parts of Sans’ body, instead keeping them in place. Squeezing the squishy ecto a little.

 

“yer soft,” Red told him, more tentacles moving to rub and brush against Sans, though not with their suckered side ahead, but their smooth back instead, trying to get more of a feel of Sans. 

  
  


“um… thank ya? dats really… nice of ya to say…?” This was weird, Sans felt weird. This octopus was holding him closer than he was comfortable with, and to make matters worse, his hands were wandering over Sans’ body. Making the mermaid want to blush, but the feel of the those claws just barely touching him kept him grounded.

 

“can ya let me go?” His tail swished a little, like he was putting emphasis on what he was talking about.

  
  


Red took his hands back again, moving them slowly to his face, to lie his head on top of them, like a pillow.

 

Sans’ voice was very soft, too. Very melodic. He liked listening to it. He remembered once hearing about the feared siren’s calls and wondered, if this is what everyone was scared of. If this is what would drag every- and anyone into the siren’s spell.

 

If so, it sure was working with Red.

 

“nah,” the octopus told him. “yer mine now.”

  
  


“yers…?” Sans asked, a feeling of dread spreading throughout his body like cold water. Sans remembers Red saying something like that before, but now Sans can properly register it. “so… yer goin’ to  _ keep  _ me?”

 

This doesn't make sense at all! Octopi don’t act this way, there was never anything going around that octopi tended to keep other beings alive for… whatever Red planned to do with him. “i thought octopi liked to be in solitude…?” Were they all wrong this whole time? Like they were hiding this little detail form the world the whole time?!

  
  


But Red’s soft hum indicated that he agreed.    
  
“never kept anyone ‘round before,” Red told him truthfully. “bu’ yer soft an’ pretty. yer voice ‘s nice.” He’d like to hear Sans sing for him. He should tell the mermaid to do so, some time. They would have enough time together, after all, Red wasn’t planning to let Sans go any time soon.

 

“fought hard ta keep ya, too.”

  
  


“oh…” Now Sans did blush. Wow, isn’t that the most flattering and romantic thing to say when you kidnap someone. Still, Sans would rather have his old life, thank you very much. But it didn’t seem like this guy wanted to let Sans go, so maybe Sans had to use a different approach. “um, ‘m sans, wha’s yer name?”

  
  


“red,” the octopus replied, though the word felt odd in his mouth. It's been a while since he's told someone his name, let alone since someone asked.

 

He roused slowly, his eyes not leaving Sans once. He kept him close as he moved off the bed, towards the shark, tearing off a piece of the meat, before handing it to Sans.

 

It would probably be stale already. A lot of the blood had escaped and the opened flesh had touched the ocean water for too long to not wear off the natural taste of a fresh kill. But it would be alright.

  
  


Sans tried to resist making a face when he was handed the meat, instead waving his hands at the other creature. “a-ah… i don’ eat shark and ‘m not hungry either.” The small mermaid tried to inch away from the meat, but the tentacle prevented him from doing so, his face turning to the side so it wouldn’t be so close to his mouth.

  
  


“well yer gotta eat,” Red told him clearly, like the topic was not up for debate. And it really wasn't. “do ya wan’ me ta feed ya ‘gain?” The octopus offered at least.

 

He was already taking an extra bite of meat, chewing it through thoroughly for Sans, though he still kept one intact piece in his hands, in case the mermaid would have a change of soul.

  
  


Sans looked between Red and the meat in his hand, trying to back away even with a tentacle around him. Until finally he turned his upper body away, his hands over his mouth, like he was protecting it. “‘m not hungry… please, don’ make me eat dat.” Sans never ate stale food, it wasn’t something mermaids ate. Ever. And shark meat, they  _ never  _ ate shark meat, never dreamed of it. 

 

The thought of doing so, or did, was revolting. If fresh shark meat tasted awful, he didn’t want to try stale shark meat.

  
  


“yer not goin’ ta starve yerself,” Red warned after swallowing the meat he had chewed up for Sans, though he didn't push him to eat anymore, instead focusing on feeding himself.

 

Sans would have to eat sooner or later and he was going to learn that any sooner was always preferable to later, because Red wasn't going to finish this shark today, and he wouldn't go hunting again when he still had food right there.

  
  


Sans only curled up on himself, mourning his own freedom. He just couldn’t understand why he was here, why he had to eat shark meat, why he was forced to stay in the tentacles of this octopus. He just wanted to go home, he missed his house, he missed his friends and brother. Everything.

 

He just didn’t understand  _ why _ !

 

Sans’ little hands went to the tentacle around him, trying to pry it off his body, pull the suckers off of him. “i gotta go home, please.” Why does everyone have to be stronger than him? Why does he have to be so weak? He had a hard time trying to even move the tentacle even a little bit, or maybe Red was putting more force into it than he let on… 

 

“i don’ know why ya want me here, but i have a life, i can’t just stay.” Sans tried to reason.

  
  


Red had been tolerant. Had stopped when Sans didn't want him to run his hands over him, had let him skip out on eating.

 

But this, this one…  _ plead _ , Red didn't like it. Not at all. He couldn't let Sans leave.

 

“yer  _ wouldn't _ have a life without me,” Red reminded him. And it was true. To Red it looked like Sans had been death fated already before he caught him. Had the shark not gotten and killed Sans, Red would've. But he didn't. He let him live.

  
  


“why did ya even  _ keep  _ me alive!? why do ya even want me to stay here to begin with!?” Sans shot back. Red himself confirmed it, he never done this before nor was it normal for octopi to do this! So why would  _ Red  _ do this!? He must have a reason in doing this then.

 

The whole time Sans was asking these questions, he was struggling even harder against the other’s hold. His tail frantically thrashing around, his blunt fingers raking the tentacle around his body, trying to pull it off.

  
  


Red could barely even feel the thrashing, most he felt would be weak touches and soft brushes of the fins.

 

“‘cause yer cute an’ ya sound nice,” Red told him matter-of-factly, like that was a perfectly valid reason to keep a mermaid. 

  
  


“but  _ i  _ don’ want to be here! ‘s too dark to see, ‘s scary and lonely, and i just want to go home!” Sans was not a fish of the deep sea, it was pitch black to him. He lives more in the brighter waters, and even enjoys being in shallow water. The only thing Sans can really see is Red’s suckers and his own tail. Both body parts lighting up a little around them, just enough for Sans to make out Red and some of his features.

 

But it really was dark in here, deep under the sea, meaning it’s colder. A lot colder than Sans was used to, he might not be able to live here for that long without growing weaker or sick. Let’s not even mention the pressure of the water from how deep he was. “i’ll probably die from how cold it is!”

  
  


“ya ungrateful brat,” Red grumbled a little though decided to no longer bother with Sans’ complaining anymore.

 

Would he rather be dead instead? Did he really prefer being eaten over living with Red?

 

It didn't matter though. That decision wasn't up to him. He put more tentacles around Sans just in case he’d try to flee, before going back to his bed of seagrass.

  
  


Sans’ hands pushed at the octopus, trying to put as much distance between their two bodies. But it wasn’t much, he was just to weak compared to Red, or anyone else. “please… can ya just  _ let me go _ ! i can’ live in a dark cave and so deep under the sea! ‘m not made for dat, i’ll get sick and die here!” 

 

The thing is, Sans doesn’t really know if he would die here just because of the environment. He knew the water pressure would,  _ is _ , uncomfortable, but mixing it with staling food like this, and being in the dark when he was used to shallow or normal water. Sans feels like all those things mixed together  _ could  _ kill him. Just because Sans is weak, he can’t handle that much, all of that… felt like to much.

 

“‘m… ‘m weak, i… won’ be able to handle dat.” Sans confessed, his voice going a little quieter. “ya don’ want me to die, i don’ want to die…. please, i can’  _ stay  _ here.”

  
  


Red wasn't listening. Well, he  _ was, _ and the words did concern him, made him wonder if keeping him here was the best idea. But Red didn't give him an indicator that he heard a word Sans said, simply squeezing him a little in his tentacles. By far not enough to hurt or do any damage, just to remind Sans of where he  _ was _ .

 

He wasn't stupid. Yes, Sans might be saying the truth, Red knew there were creatures unfit for his lifestyle. But he also knew that Sans wanted him to let him go and would most likely do anything to fool Red into  _ letting _ him go.

 

“yer gonna eat later,” Red decided. “ya need food.”

  
  


Sans whimpered, laying limp in the other’s hold once he was squeezed, defeated.

  
Sans was  _ not  _ excited to eat later, he didn’t even know if it would stay in his mouth long enough to  _ be  _ eaten.


	3. hey, this crab taste funny

Sans had at one point fallen asleep, having felt dizzy some time when Red and Sans was just laying on Red’s bed, doing nothing. Sans didn’t think it was because of Red’s grip on him when he was just starting to feel the effects, but later when he tried to breathe more deeply, it got worse. Like the oxygen in the water was the problem, or the water in general. Whatever happened, he fell asleep, only to be shook awake by Red.

 

It was later, Sans had slept until it was ‘later’. It was time to eat, his subconscious knew what was coming and the feeling of dread came with it. But at the moment, Sans’ sleepy mind couldn’t understand  _ why. _

  
  


Red hadn't even noticed Sans’ state, though. He had dozed off at one point, simply assuming that's what Sans had done, too. He never minded the lower oxygen level, the water pressure, the darkness. It were all things Red didn't particularly notice.

 

But yes. It was ‘later.’ Red tore off another piece of shark meat, a smaller one this time, to not let the size frighten Sans. He then handed it to the mermaid wordlessly, fully expecting the mermaid to know what to do.

  
  


Something inside Sans told him  _ not  _ to eat it, screaming at him that it was a bad a idea. The pit of his stomach dropping when he caught just a tiny whiff at it. “i-i can’ eat dat!” Sans shook his head, backing away as his hands went up to protect his mouth once again.

  
  


“ya eat fish, don't ya?” Red questioned, his voice having a hard edge of annoyance. “‘s jus’ fish! ‘s not gonna kill ya.”

 

But it didn't matter. Red wasn't going to let Sans starve himself, and that's clearly what he was doing.

 

He tightened his tentacles around Sans enough to keep him still, one around his throat, not choking him, only making sure he couldn't turn his head too much anymore. Before Red himself hovered over Sans, prying the hands away and forcing Sans’ mouth to open to put the shark meat into it.

  
  


Sans struggled as much as he could, but it was no use. The moment the shark meat touched his tongue, Red forcing his mouth closed again, Sans could tell. He could tell from the second he tasted the meat that he wouldn’t be able to stomach it.

 

The taste was worse than awful, it was putrid. Even with the taste, Sans at least tried to power through it, chewing it ever so slowly, every moment like torture. The longer Sans chewed, the more blue his disgusted face got, and the paler and duller his ecto tail got. But the moment Sans tried to swallow it, it was when his magic down right refused it and demanded to get it away.

 

Sans couldn’t move, the tentacles around him preventing him from turning his head away to be a little more discreet. With his face all puffed and scrunched up, tears in his sockets, he tried to talk through it. “i… don’... feel ser…. good…”

  
  


Red wasn't sure what to make out of that. That was one vague statement. His tentacles loosened up by a little bit, though for the most part he just watched Sans… concerned.

  
  


A few moments more past of Sans trying to keep it inside his mouth and swallow the shark meat. In the end Sans couldn’t do it, turning his head and let the contents of his mouth spill from him. Thankfully he didn’t throw up anything else but the meat in his mouth, but Sans still hacked and dry heaved. Sans’ vision started to blur, he didn’t feel like he was growing unconscious, but he didn’t feel good at all. 

 

With that, Sans went slack in Red’s hold, closing his sockets in hopes that it would help make the dizziness go away, taking deep breaths. But the low oxygen levels made him wheeze, feeling like he just can’t get enough air inside him. Sans could practically feel himself growing cold, guessing his ecto parts weren’t glowing the more he felt himself grow weaker.

 

Sans  _ knew  _ it was a bad idea, eating meat like that in a cold, dark, suffocating place.

  
  


Red’s tentacles curled around Sans even more as he had to see that, worry and frustration combining into a bad mixture.

 

He pulled Sans to him and away from the spit out shark meat. Great. Fucking awesome. Now he had a  _ dying _ mermaid.

 

“wha’ do ya eat.” Red practically demanded.

  
  


It took awhile for Sans to try and gather strength to speak, but in the end, food is not what he needed right now. So he pointed his little finger up, his whole arm shaking. “ai...r … i ...nn..eed…. can’.... bre...ath.” He wheezed, coughing a little.

 

They can worry about food later, there is to little oxygen here for Sans to recover from that attempt earlier.

  
  


Though Red wasn’t sure about a lot of anything anymore, he wasn’t going to question Sans right now. The little mermaid looked too sickish for that. He held Sans close instead, leaving his den quickly.

 

Red didn’t like going up too much. It was too bright there, people would see him. See him as a threat, would attack him. But he also didn’t want his mermaid to die.

 

So Red swam, far away from where he knew a lot of people would be, slowly going up and up and up. They reached the top of the gorge after a couple of minutes, the water having gone already bright enough for fish even without dark vision being able to see the bottom of the ocean bright and clearly.

 

But he went farther.

 

He didn’t know, really, how far up Sans needed him to go, so he kept going until he could see the water’s surface, letting his head break it, before lifting Sans enough for him to do so as well.

  
  


Sans gulped down the largest amount of air he ever had, his hands planted on Red’s shoulders for support. The little mermaid at first coughed, but his breathing started to slow the longer he was up where there is a lot of oxygen. About five minutes, Sans’ breathing calmed into a normal rhythm, the mermaid resting his head on one of Red’s shoulder, his face pressed to the other’s neck, his arms around the other loosely.

 

“thank ya…” Sans muttered into the neck, he didn’t know why he was saying thank you to the one that caused all this, but maybe it was just the politeness in him. Red did in fact act fast and listened to him, taking him up where he could breathe more easily.

  
  


Red didn’t respond, but he gave him a quiet nod. His own arms went around Sans, holding him close, like he was going to fall and sink, even though he knew he still had a firm hold on the skeleton with his tentacles.

 

Sans looked to be recovering, and Red barely could believe just how relieved he was about that.

  
  


“crab, lobster... clams and oysters, i can eat shrimp aaannd uh... starfish… and... jellyfish, and some small fish like salmon too.” Sans whispered to the other, his tiny arms tightening for only a little bit, before loosening as fast as it came. “those are the ones i  _ know  _ i can eat…”

  
  


Sans was a picky eater, Red realized. He wasn’t even sure if he could bother with catching all the small fish like that. With something as small as shrimp and clams and such, he’d probably have to get quite a few for him to actually sate any kind hunger.

 

But at least Red was already higher upwater. He knew he’d find more fish of that kind up here.

 

Red decided to dive back down to the ocean ground, not down the gorge yet, crawling between corals and seagrass to look for clams, crabs and such. There weren’t many fish around, these waters being mostly abandoned due to fishermen having invested this place a handful of years ago.

 

But the bottom of the sea was usually still lively. Red found a sizey crab, capturing it within his tentacles quickly and injecting his venom to paralyze it. Once he felt the crab stop moving and struggle within his hold, he moved the tentacle holding the crab up to Sans.

  
  


Sans took it gratefully, nodding to Red and giving him a quick ‘thanks’ before easily breaking open one of the crab’s arms with practiced ease. The mermaid dug out the meat and stuffed it into his mouth. Usually Sans wouldn’t really want to eat after throwing up, but he didn’t really throw up, just spit out nasty food. Sans was still really hungry, and finally he can have food he could actually eat.

 

After a whole arm and a half of the crab eaten, Sans noticed his mouth felt a little… numb. Oh, Red paralyzed it. Sans had a passing thought that he might get paralyzed after eating the crab, but it was shooed away when he noticed he had been eating the meat for a while now, he would have already not been able to move if that was true.

 

Still though.

 

Sans looked up at Red, his voice a little raw. “can ya maybe nah paralyze i’ nex’ ‘ime? i’ makes my mout’ numb.” The poor mermaid was talking a little funny too, his tongue poking out a little from his mouth, leaving Sans to talk around it. Even with this little problem, Sans still didn’t want to be rude to someone that had his life in their hands…. or… claws. “but t’ank ya fer da f’erd, t’ank ya ser much!!”

  
  


“yer welcome,” Red muttered quietly, not actually having expected the mermaid to thank him. But he grinned a little when he heard him talk. Oh, wasn’t that just adorable.

 

“‘dunno, though. yer kinda ‘dorable like this.” The octopus teased, tentacles slowly wrapping more around Sans.

  
  


“neeeerr, why da ya ‘ave ta be ser mean!” Sans groaned, but despite all that, he continued to eat, talking through the food when he had to. The little mermaid’s tail whipped around a little, if he would have had legs, it would have been legs kicking out instead on a tail thrashing around. Like some kid, having a temper tantrum. 

 

By this time though, there wasn’t much of the crab left after a few more minutes, Sans left the hollow shell of the crab on the sandy floor. The whole time during his meal, his head had been laying on Red’s chest, his whole body leaning on him while most of his body was surrounded and held by many tentacles. 

 

Sans looked around at the ocean floor, searching for more food. “can… i ger an’ find m’er f’erd?” It might also give him a chance to escape… after he catches himself something else. Got to keep a show for a little bit just in case Red was suspicious. If Red decided to let him hunt by himself, that is. “i kn’er tricks ta gettin’ dem fas’er.”

  
  


Red was considering it. Getting the food faster certainly sounded good. Though leaving Sans to himself didn’t.    
  


“ya can when i know ya won’t swim ‘way,” Red decided, before moving Sans from his stomach and continuing his own search for small shellfish and other creatures.

 

He had found a few clams and oysters that he handed Sans, and eventually even a starfish. “how much do ya need?” Red asked at one point, after he had managed to peel off the starfish from an anemone. Though not without the loss of a few legs on the starfish’s side.

  
  


“dats enough, i don’ ea’ a lot.” Sans muttered, prying open his third and last clam. The oysters were still on his lap, now with a starfish added to the mix. Sans slurped up the muscle inside and discarding the shell before talking. As he struggled to form his words, his hands went to one of the oysters. “um… ser… i, uh… kn’er i said dis before… but…”

 

Sans grew more bashful and shy, looking down at the oyster so he wouldn’t have to face Red. His voice was lower, but Red would still be able to hear, thankfully. “i uh… really do appreciate ya derin’ dis… and… um… thanks… again…” Sans was silently thankful that his mouth was getting back to normal, letting out a mental sigh of relief, slurping his next oyster right up.

 

Sans by no means liked Red a lot, he kidnapped him and is holding him against his will. But Sans is not a rude fish and liked to stay calm even in the worst of times, like being kidnapped for example. The small mermaid didn’t have a choice here, he was going to have to play nice until he can find a chance to flee, for now though, he was going to have to endure.

 

Thankfully, if this was how things was going to be, Sans would have a easier time with that. But besides all that, Sans was genuinely grateful Red finally understood and was getting what he needs. Listening to what Sans wants and doing it for him, not forcing him to eat that awful meat again.

 

ugh.

 

That was nasty…

  
  


“ya better,” Red told him, before picking up his pace again, slowly starting to head back to his den. Red didn’t eat those kinds of fish, and if that was really all Sans could eat, he’d have to get out of his way to go up and catch it.

 

Maybe he could experiment with some smaller deep sea fish, tuna’s and eels, maybe even some moray’s. But if he wouldn’t have any luck with that, Sans was going to be quite an effort.

 

Red still had some shellfish with him when he finally arrived to his den, as well as the starfish. He placed them all close to his pile of bones, doubting they would try to flee, as they didn’t even seem sentient enough to realize they were stored there as food.

 

Red meanwhile went back to his own dinner, picking up a tentacle full of old seaweed to wipe up the meat Sans had spit out earlier and throw it out of the den, before going back to the shark and beginning to eat himself.

 

He had put Sans down on his bed, mostly free, though one tentacle was still holding onto the wrist. With most of the tentacles gone now, one could see the many small suction marks littered over Sans’ fishtail, as well as some on his bones.

  
  


Well, that one being mostly Red, since Sans can’t really see anything but Red’s glowing suckers and his own ecto body. Even with Sans being able to only see the ones on his ecto flesh, unless he brings his bones really close to it to see the ones on his bones, Sans didn’t see it at the moment. Instead Sans used his new mobility to try and feel up the cave, get a feel for it. The smaller skeleton creature pulled on the one tentacle around his wrist, trying to gain his own release.

 

Sans wasn’t even headed to the exit, he was heading deeper into the cave. He knew there was two ways from what he was able to feel up, but he knew one way was where Red was at, which he knew was most likely the exit. So Sans went the other direction. Which also led deeper into the den, but the den really wasn’t all that deep, only going a bit farther before leading into a dead end. 

  
  


Red glanced up towards Sans to see what he was doing, before, very slowly, letting go of his wrist. He moved himself and his food towards the exit of the den, so there’d be no way of Sans sneaking past him and escaping, but otherwise decided to let Sans roam.

 

“be careful,” Red warned him, though. “some a the bones here are sharp.”

  
  


Sans had been rubbing his wrist when Red said that, in disbelief that he was free of any tentacles. But when he heard Red’s warning, he looked down in surprise, where he guessed the bones were. Welp, if he was going to feel up the ground, he would have to go extra slow, and maybe make his tail glow just a big brighter.

 

And that’s what Sans did, made his ecto body glow brighter for a few seconds, lighting everything around him in a shade of blue. And his tail glowed a pretty blue, with brighter dots going down his tail in a straight line, like some types of jellyfish. But it only lasted a few seconds before it dulled back to it’s normal glow, the dots disappearing. But that’s all Sans really needed, a glimpse, a general idea on how or where things are.

  
  


Once more, Red looked up surprised when he noticed the bright glow. Red wished, so badly, he could’ve gotten a better look. A better look at that pretty, soft light, at what seemed to be decorating dots. But it disappeared too quickly for him to have seen more of it.

  
  


Sans felt up the walls, feeling the texture to see how rough it would feel against him, finding the stash where Red left Sans’ own food, the bones, and finally the end of the tunnel. The poor mermaid having miscalculated the end of the den, ending up gently running into the wall. Sans made a squeak of complaint and surprise, moving away from the wall and shaking his head. One hand on the end of the tunnel so he knew where it was.

 

Sans is going to pretend that never happened…

  
  


Red, however, had not been filled into said plans, and had no reason on why to hold back his surprised, short laugh.

 

“yer ok there, dolphin?” The octopus asked, dragging his shark back to where it belonged, deciding he was done with eating for now. He was coming back to Sans, not picking him up in his tentacles again, but still close, close enough for his tentacles to feel over him, wrapping around him without any pressure or force, easily being able to be pushed off.

 

“ya gotta be more careful.”

  
  


Sans frowned, flinching at the touch. But he saw it coming, saw the glowing tentacles moving towards him in the dark. The mermaid pressed himself to the wall so he wouldn’t have to be so close to Red, not wanting to be constantly in his clutches 24/7.

 

“‘m fine.” Sans muttered, looking at the ground a little embarrassed. Geez, why does Red have to act like a mother hen at times, Sans had only been with him for a short while and he could already tell Red was the type to take care of someone whether they liked it or not.

 

The mermaid slid down the wall, until his bum hit the den floor. One hand grabbing the tip of one of the tentacles, feeling like it was too close to his face, yet was subtly examining the glowing suckers. “so… wha do ya usually do around here?”

 

If he was going to stay here for who knows how long, he would want to be mentally prepared for what was in store.

  
  


Red let himself sink down as well, letting Sans’ examine the tentacle, while the tentacle turned and curled slowly in his hold.

 

“eat an’ sleep,” Red replied to Sans’ question. “never ‘ad anythin’ else to do.” The most interesting thing Red  _ could _ think of doing was to find a mate, maybe, sex them until they would both part ways to never see each other again. Though even if that happened, which was unlikely, any meeting with another octopus would most likely end up in bloodshed.

  
  


“dat sounds… borin’...” Sans commented hesitantly, “i liked ta adventure places.” a small smiling growing on the mermaid’s face at the memory. 

 

“i sunbathe a lot on rocks above the water, really nice. i also liked ta find sunken ships, find really cool stuff and keep em. liked ta explore secluded islands too, if there is a way for me to swim, even shallow waters where i have to drag myself, i would do it. i’s really fun.” Sans poked at one of the suckers, testing it’s suction power with his one finger. The small fish actually having trouble getting his finger back when the suction cup stuck to him.

 

“but i guess d’ose days are over though…” He doubted Red would let him explore like that, most likely always keeping him on a short leash, especially outside. “man, it’s gonna be so borin’...” Sans muttered, lowering the tentacle a little bit, giving in in defeat when he couldn’t get his finger back.

 

Don’t get him wrong, Sans was lazy and loved lazing around, but he also liked to see new things and explore. As much as those two traits about him clashed and didn’t seem to mix, it somehow worked, mostly with Sans switching between those two depending on how he felt or what he wanted to do.

  
  


Red, though, pulled Sans close by his finger almost harshly, both of Red’s clawed hands on Sans’ shoulders.   
  
“ya’d be dead without me,” the octopus reminded. “maybe ya should stop mournin’ over wha’ ya can’t do, an’ start bein’ glad yer  _ alive. _ ”   
  
He didn’t want to be harsh to Sans, but he also was growing sick of his complaining. Red had let him live. Red had saved him, would protect him, was taking care of him. Without him, what would Sans be? Would he just get eaten by a different shark? Another octopus, one that wasn’t as merciful as Red had decided to be with him?   
  
He could  _ still _ kill Sans any moment. It’d be so easy. And mermaid meat was said to be soft, to be rich of taste and quality.

 

Red wasn’t going to, of course, but Sans should start to realize that that wasn’t something he should take for granted.

  
  


Instead, Sans curled up on himself in fear, the sucker making a soft pop as it let go of Sans’ finger. The mermaid putting the hand to his chest protectively, like that one sucker sucked away Sans’ hopes and freedom to ever do the things he loved ever again. Sans’ faced was pressed into his tail, that curled up to cover his face, his shoulders hunched. 

 

He looked like a ball, a defensive ball. Closed off, silent and no longer as relaxed or comfortable. Not to say he was chill before, but his chill went from a cool to down right zero. In fact, he was acting more like Red was danger, and in Sans’ eyes, he was.

 

That little bit of comfort and trust he barely even had for Red was thrown out the den.

 

The whole time Sans was in the ball, he was thinking how death would be so much better than living his life stuck in a dark hole with an awful creature like Red. He would rather die than live his life so dully and miserably. Sans would have said just that, but now he just didn’t want to talk, say a single word to the creature before him.

 

Sans wouldn’t even know if Red would have mercy on him and kill him, or keep him alive just to make him suffer.

 

The mermaid wanted to cry, tears at the edge of his sockets, but he held them back, not wanting Red to have the satisfaction of knowing he made him cry.

  
  


Red’s growl was low and quiet as he watched Sans. He didn’t know what to do with him, was frustrated with his whining. And now he was curled up, too, hiding himself from Red. 

 

Frustrated and annoyed Red simply picked Sans up, bringing him to his nest. He lied down, tentacles around the curled up skeleton to keep him close, keep him in place. Maybe he just needed to give Sans time to adjust. Maybe Sans would be less as difficult once he’s been here for a few days…


	4. sleeping on the job

In the past few days, it did  _ not  _ get better.

 

Sans instead made it his goal to piss Red off as much as possible. He refused to eat unless he was force fed, when they went out Sans looked longingly out at the clear ocean,  _ refused  _ to talk a  _ single  _ word to Red. Curled up in a ball every chance he got, never looked at Red straight into his eyes, always looking down and slept  _ a lot _ .

 

_ All  _ in hopes that Red would finally… just kill him.

 

Sans wished for death, and hoped Red would just get tired of him and kill him. He didn’t care anymore, he even had a blank stare when he was left alone. He never really found a time to be able to escape, so he just laid there when he wasn’t being breathed over, and just waited for the day when he could finally rest in peace.

  
  


And boy, it worked. At first Red hadn’t bothered too much with Sans’ avoidance. Hadn’t cared too much he wasn’t looking at him, was a little disappointed he wasn’t talking, though there were certainly worse things.

 

Like when he refused to eat.

  
Or when this behavior kept on going for days, weeks even. It was like Sans  _ wanted _ to die, and Red wouldn’t be surprised if that was, essentially, the case.

 

He had left Sans by the nest when Red went to the exit of the cave for a bit, looking for new seaweeds and mossy plants for his den, as the current ones were starting to get useless. With two monsters using the nest, it was getting used up a lot faster, the plants flattening under the weight of two monsters. Especially so when Sans didn’t even  _ leave _ it anymore…

  
  


While Red wasn’t looking, Sans had the sudden urge and strong desire to speed things up, gaining the courage to swim up to and grab a sharp bone that was laying on the den floor. Then, he pointed the sharp part directly over his soul, his beating heart, the being of his existence. Both hands holding the bone steady, before he lifted it up over his head, preparing for a nice, fast, finish. His back was to the entrance.

  
  


“ _ crap, _ ” Red hissed, the second he saw Sans. He dropped anything he had collected, to dash over to the skeleton instead, tentacles practically devouring him wholly, curling around all of Sans’ body from behind him. Two particular tentacles made their way up Sans’ arms, prying the bone out of his hands until it dropped to the ground.

 

Shit, shit,  _ shit. _ He should’ve expected something like that. Should’ve expected something to  _ happen. _ But he didn’t think it would be  _ this, _ didn’t think it’d be this  _ close. _

 

“the fuck’re ya doin’!?” Red growled, his tone loud and demanding. Now that the bone was out of Sans’ clutches, he turned the mermaid in his hold until he was facing him. “were ya tryna kill me? or maybe jus’  _ yerself!? _ ”

  
  


Sans didn’t say anything, just stared at the ground with those long ago hollow sockets. His eyelights having died out a long while ago, while his entire body was limp, like he was waiting for Red to make a move. Make  _ the  _ move.

 

Maybe this was it? Maybe he finally pushed Red to get rid of him? Surely he was disappointed in the idea of keeping Sans, and would just kill Sans. This  _ must  _ have been a bad experience for the other, Sans just hoped it was enough for Red to make that final decision. 

  
  


Oh, he had pushed Red, alright. Had  _ been _ pushing him for a while. His tentacles were all around Sans and  _ tight, _ keeping him from any kind of movement. The most he could do was, maybe, move his fingers and the fin on the tip of his tail. But everything else was held tightly.

 

“maybe ya need a reminder of  _ who _ ya belong ta,” the octopus growled, three tentacles unwrapping from around him and instead going to Sans’ ribs, squeezing between them with ease, filling up Sans’ ribcage.

 

He hadn’t wanted to do this. Hadn’t wanted to do  _ anything _ too harsh at first, hadn’t wanted to keep Sans as a pet, but as someone that lived with him, someone he took care of. But extreme situations require extreme measurements.

 

One of Red’s invading tentacles grabbed onto the small mermaid’s fragile soul, carefully, but firmly, the tentacle making it’s way out again through the top of Sans’ ribcage, past the collarbone, until Red could get a hold of it with his hands.

 

“yer  _ mine _ , sans,” Red growled out a reminder. “so ya better start  _ actin’ _ like it.”

  
  


Sans didn’t move, he had tensed when the tentacles entered him, but went back to being slack soon after. Watching his soul being carried away, another bang to his chest. What else would this monster take from him? Right when Sans thought Red has taken everything, he does this. 

 

A blue liquid started to leak from Sans’ eye sockets, mixing in with the water, yet it tinted the water to be a blue shade, with a glow to it. Sans stopped caring, he doesn't care anymore if Red sees him cry, Sans feels too hollow to care.

  
  


That only pissed Red off more, though. Two of the tentacles in Sans’ ribcage moved farther up, until they reached his skull, covering Sans’ eye sockets, like Red wouldn’t have to watch him cry this way. 

 

He kept a tight, but careful hold on the small, cyan soul meanwhile, a claw running over the surface, making sure he wasn’t going to damage the soul, but to still force Sans to  _ feel. _

 

“ya can’t ignore me ferever,” Red growled down at him quietly.

  
  


Sans whimpered, his body hitching with every hiccup. Finally, Sans spoke, breaking his silence to ask one question. “w-why c-c-ca-an’ ya jus’ k-ki-ki-kill me?!” Genuinely upset Red wouldn’t. He could get some other mermaid, hell it doesn't even have to be a mermaid! Just someone else, someone that might actually want to be with him! Why does it have to be Sans? Why does Sans have to suffer through this?

 

_ It wasn’t fair! _

  
  


“‘cause i  _ want _ ya,” Red replied, his voice hard and leaving no room for debate. Red didn’t want a mermaid. He didn’t want  _ anyone. _ Red’s never wanted anyone before.   
  
The only one he wanted was  _ Sans. _

 

Maybe it was silly. A silly power thing, where he didn’t like the idea of not getting the thing he wanted, about not wanting to admit defeat, refusing to let go. But it didn’t matter. What mattered was that he  _ wanted Sans. _

 

“i don’ know why yer strugglin’ that much! i never ‘urt ya. i feed ya. i protect ya.” More of Red’s tentacles started curling, started to feel over Sans. His fingers were brushing over the soul, firmly, but not with his claws ahead. “i could do ya good, sans. could let ya get outside. sunbath. could let ya eat wha’ ya want. bu’ all ya do is complain, like ‘m tryna fuckin’ torture ya. do ya  _ wan’ _ me ta torture ya!? ‘cause i fuckin  _ can! _ ”

  
  


Sans squirmed in the other’s grasp, spazzing out in random moments. “is hard when ya were  _ kidnapped _ ! ya told me ta stop mournin’ the things i liked ta do and be grateful ‘m alive. but wha ya gave me isn’  _ livin’ _ , it’s hell! in a dark, cold, place i can barely breathe in! da ya think i like it here? ya always holdin’ me, always gettin’ reminded ‘it’s not my choice’ or ‘ya belong ta me’!” Sans shot back, suddenly more aggressive and confident, or maybe it’s adrenaline. 

 

“ya can’ jus’ hold someone hostage and expect them ta just like ya! i would rather  _ die  _ than live like this! if ya wanted so bad for me ta live with ya like normal people, maybe stop telling me i don’ have a choice or can’ do what i enjoyed doing!” Sans really doesn't understand Red, first he tells him to stop mourning about the things he missed. Then he is telling him that he would  _ allow  _ it? Why wouldn’t he have said ‘ya can do that someday’ or ‘we can do that together’? Not down right tell Sans to stop thinking about things he loved and just be grateful for something horrible Red did, which was put him into this fucking situation.

  
  


“ya’d  _ leave _ if i’d let go a ya,” Red growled. “all i wan’ed was fer ya ta stop  _ complainin’! _ ya wan’ me ta kill ya ‘stead!?  _ fine! _ ”   
  
Red’s hold on the soul tightened, claws digging into the surface of it, like he was about to pop the soul like a balloon.

  
  


Sans gasped, his hands going to scratch and paw at his chest, but tentacles stopped them, keeping them pinned to Sans’ side. Sans gapped like a fish out of water, feeling like he couldn’t breathe and that he was slowly being killed right here and there.

 

He couldn’t see, not with those tentacles covering his sockets, but that didn’t really make much of a difference, he always couldn’t see here. 

 

But even when he finally was having the taste of death… why was he so scared?

  
  


Red could pop this soul so easily. Could tear it to pieces, could crush it, break it. Killing this mermaid would be easier than sleeping at night.

 

Yet he didn’t do it. He  _ couldn’t. _

 

Red let go of the soul wordlessly, his tentacles withdrawing from around Sans, only one staying loosely around the tip of his fish tail. 

 

Sans was lucky. Red couldn’t tell  _ why _ he was,  _ why _ he couldn’t bring himself to kill him. But he was damn lucky.

 

Without another word, Red lied down on his nest. He was sick of this and tired. Maybe things would look better once he woke up again.

  
  


There Sans stayed, staring off into the distance, confused. Wasn’t he… dying just a few seconds ago?

 

Red stopped, he stopped! But why!? Why did he just stop like that, after saying he would! And now he was just… laying there? Was he sleeping, Sans couldn’t tell.

 

After what felt like hours, when it probably only been one, Sans finally realized something. His soul was right there hovering over his chest, Red’s grip on him was a loose tentacle around his tail, and Red looked to be  _ asleep _ .

 

Hope filled Sans’ chest, quickly pushing the soul back inside his chest, then ever so carefully, he peeled his tail from Red’s grasp. Once the moment that Sans was in no contact with Red no more, he waited, he waited for Red to get up and grab him.

 

But he didn’t.

 

Red was truly asleep!

 

Sans quickly went to feel the walls, finding his way to the entrance of the den as quietly and as quickly as he could. After what felt like forever, the clock against him, Sans finally made it outside, looking up and feeling the hope rising. He could see the light from above, he could actually see it!

 

Sans wasted no time, zooming up faster than he ever swam before, a wide smile breaking out.

 

He was free!

 

-

 

One of the first things Sans did was eat as much as he so damn pleased, this time using his tricks to quickly get some food. Which meant Sans sang until small creatures went up to him wanting to enjoy his song.  _ Sirens  _ songs were deadly, but mermaid’s were made to attract and just be some sort of entertainment. But that doesn’t mean mermaids can’t use it to hunt.

 

After he ate, he explored, something he longed to do for a long time now.

 

He swam for who knows how long, until he saw an abandoned sunken ship. Excited gitters went up Sans’ spine when he saw it, a second later he zoomed off to it, ready to see what cool things he would find.

 

-

 

Red woke up a couple of hours later. But something was wrong. Oh, something was  _ so wrong. _

 

Red’s eyes opened immediately, wide and alarmed. He couldn’t feel Sans. Not close to his body, not on any of his tentacles. Red didn’t need to check twice to know what had happened. What was going on.

 

Sans was  _ gone. _ Sans had left him while he was asleep, had managed to get out of his clutches and  _ fled. _

 

Shit. Shit, shit  _ shit. _ Red couldn’t lose Sans. Couldn’t be alone again. He wanted to have Sans there, he  _ wanted Sans. _

 

Red barged out of his den like a bullet, rocketing upwards faster than he has ever before. “ **_sans!?_ ** ” He practically roared as soon as he reached the end of the gorge, startling any creature, any fish around him. Red didn’t leave his gorge often, for the very reason that higher up sea creatures were  _ terrified _ of his sight. They left within seconds, all dashing into the opposite direction of Red. And more followed up to them, swarms of terrified fish fleeing in a frenzy, as a rampaging octopus dashed through the ocean, checking any cave, any den, behind any rock for Sans, killing everyone and destroying anything in his way.

 

He  _ needed  _ to get Sans back.

 

-

 

Sans was having the time of his life, he was enjoying figuring out what certain things he found on the ship does, a lot of them he seen before, but sometimes he gets the real good stuff. 

 

He had been at it for a while, enjoying how the sea plants started to take over the ship, giving it a nice look in Sans’ opinion. It wasn’t until he heard screaming that he stopped in his search, swimming out from the gaping hole in the ship’s side to see what was happening. Many fishes from all kinds were swimming away in a hurry, all looked panicked and terrified. Sans waved one of the fishes over, which so happened to be a dolphin.

 

“wha’s happenin’?” Sans asked, looking to the direction where everyone was swimming from, trying to see the source of all of this, but couldn’t see anything that could be the reason to be.

 

“An angry octopus is on a rampage!! It was screaming ‘Sans’ non stop and is killing everyone that it gets near!” The dolphin squeaked in distress. “I think it is looking for someone, but I don’t know who!”

 

Sans’ whole body went cold, dread filling every part of his being.

 

Oh.

 

Oh no.

 

Red was… killing everything? On a crazy rampage just because of  _ Sans?  _

 

Sans snapped out of his thoughts before he got too into it, about to ask the dolphin one last thing when he noticed they were gone.

 

Welp. Time to hide.

 

Sans was about to swim with the fishes, but thought against it, if he was the target, he didn’t want to drag all these other creatures down with him. Oh gosh, how mad would Red be if he caught him? Sans  _ just  _ got his freedom back, he didn’t want to just give it up! But what else can he really do? 

 

Either he runs away and lets Red continue on this rampage, or he gives in and lets the bloodshed end but also becomes trapped in that hell hole once again?

 

Sans swam back into the ship…


	5. *barges in* HONEY IM HOME!!

 

It didn’t take long after that for Red to spot the ship. At first it didn’t strike him as that attractive. Didn’t seem that special at all.

 

Until he  _ remembered. _ Remembered about how Sans talked about liking to explore places. Liking to explore old shipwrecks.

  
Red didn’t even bother to find a way in, he went straight to the ship, letting his suction cups get a grip on some of the ship’s boards, before tearing them out and breaking in.

 

“ **_sans!_ ** ” He roared out once more,  _ knowing _ he had to be here somewhere. He dashed through the ship, breaking through walls to get into closed up rooms, broke through the ground or the ceiling to get up and down quicker. There was no force in the ocean able to stop Red until he found his mermaid.

  
  


Or maybe a pained scream can, the pained scream of the mermaid he was trying to find. Red had broken through one of the floors, making the broken wood fly. Fly right into Sans and slash the base of his tail, right below the hip, what would be considered the outer thigh for land walkers. Sans moved back, to get away from the wreckage, ending up backing away into a room with a very narrow doorway. 

 

The mermaid backed away until his back hit one of the corners of the room, sinking to the floor as he clutched his injury with both hands, wincing in pain.

  
  


There was blood in the water, and Red knew it was from Sans. Red knew it was from his mermaid. It was messing with him, a mixture of blind rage and worry, and all Red could do was to try to dash after him, to get to him. 

  
Red let out a furious howl as he suddenly got stuck, not having noticed the doorway being too narrow for him. No, no,  _ no, _ he  _ needed _ to get to Sans. He was a target! He’d get killed.  _ He couldn’t let him get killed! _

  
  


Sans looked up and saw Red struggling in getting past the door, his tentacles trying to reach him, but coming up short. Sans turned around to the opposite side of where Red was, and there. A window, a window for Sans to escape from.

 

Sans heaved his pudgy, small body up, moving his hurt tail and propelling himself to the window. He gave one passing glance to Red before swimming out of the ship, going upwards, to the water’s surface.

 

But Sans was looking down as he swam up, watching the shipwreck for any signs of Red. Not noticing another ship above him, a net close by.

  
  


Red came crashing out of the sucken ship only seconds later, dashing after Sans, at first only to get him. But then his eyes widened as he saw Sans swimming straight towards a net.

 

“ **_stop!_ ** ” He called out, trying to speed up to catch up with Sans.

  
  


Sans didn’t, like hell he would listen to Red. Not after what he went through with that octopus! Sans wasn’t going to go back, not eve-

 

Something hit his back, clinging to him and moving around him to trap him. The second the net started to move from Sans’ frantic movements, the net moved up, being pulled onto the white ship.

 

Sans screamed in pain as the net pulled at his injury, even his mermaid cry was beautiful. No matter the pitch or the emotion, it was a lovely sound. Siren or mermaid, but Sans didn’t care if his screams of pain sounded nice to everyone else, his side hurt!!

  
  


The scream only spurred Red on to go faster, following the net like he was trying to win a race. But he was losing. The net broke the water’s surface, quickly disappearing out of Red’s sight. He still followed it until the ship’s bottom, knowing Sans had to be up there. Up on the ship. He had to  _ get  _ there.

 

He pulled out a board of wood again, the same way he did when breaking into the shipwreck earlier, slipping in and climbing up the walls. He pulled out more boards for every layer he had to get up, breaking through metal ceiling after metal ceiling until finally there were no more, and he could see  _ him. _

 

Sans was still caught in the net, a good handful of fishermen gathered around him, talking about their nice catch. They didn’t even notice Red crawling over the floor towards them, not until he leapt onto one of them, tentacles wrapped tightly around their throat.

 

The fisherman was struggling immediately, gasping for air, choking, their face going red then purple. The others reacted as well, startled, then alarmed. They pulled out the only  weapon like items they had at Red, which were small knives they used to gut fish. One of them ran straight at Red and sliced one of his tentacle’s clean off with the blade of his dagger.

 

It didn’t matter. The tentacle would regrow, and as soon as Red let himself fall back down onto the floor, so did the fisherman in his grasp.

 

Some of the others had already fled under the deck, or maybe they were getting weapons. There were screams, noises, things Red didn’t bother to make out. He went after the remaining humans, tentacles wrapping around the dagger to get it out of their grasp, uncaring of the small cuts he might get. He then used it to point it back at the human, impaling them easily, the fisherman not even able to fight back anymore, paralyzing venom already injected.

 

That was one less, one more left. Or not. Red was looking around to find the last fisherman he had seen up here, but they must’ve already left. He picked up Sans into his arms, before quickly crawling back to the edge of the ship, leaping down into the water, where he would let them both sink, holding Sans close the entire time, while watching the fishing ship with a burning glare. Watching it slowly sink. Watching fishermen after fishermen file out of the ship, only to get trapped in the middle of the ocean, some drowning already.

  
  


Sans whimpered in the other’s hold, the net still around him, irritating his wound. It also didn’t help that Red was holding him in a position where he pressed on the wound in all the wrong ways. “ah! red yer hurtin’ me!” Sans cried, struggling in the other’s grip to get away.

 

“let go! leave me alone!” Why can’t Red just give up on him already?!

  
  


“stop movin, ya idiot,” Red growled. But he did move his hold on Sans slightly, so he wasn’t pressing against the wound anymore.

 

None of the fishermen seemed to go after him, so Red quickly continued to swim away. He was fast, holding Sans steady, not stopping until he found a small abandoned den farther off, at the bottom of the sea. He didn’t want to be out in the open when the water was mixed with this much blood, attracting predators. But he didn’t have the time to get back to his usual den.

 

Red tore the net apart with ease, letting his beak bite through the ropes, until he could get it off Sans. He had picked some seagrass, the biggest leaves he could find, wrapping them around Sans’ tail tightly, keeping pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

  
  


The little mermaid whined softly, his sockets falling shut from all the exhaustion and pain. How much blood did he lose? Sans didn’t care right now, he just wanted to sleep, he was tired. Red won, he got him and now he was going back to that dark den that was hidden in the gorge.

 

“i….mhh… ughh… r….eed…?” Sans mumbled, before he finally fell unconscious.

  
  


“shush,” was all Red mumbled as he watched the small mermaid pass out.

 

He left the makeshift den, blocking the entrance with an old crate both for Sans not to flee  _ again, _ but also for no one else to find him. After picking a couple of more large leaves of seagrass, Red wrapped them around his own bleeding tentacle, wincing at the pain of the contact, but ignoring it otherwise.

 

He’s had worse before.

 

Once that was taken care of, he went to search for more shellfish, figuring Sans would need something to eat when he woke up from… all of this.

 

-

 

Sans’ sockets were heavy, making it hard for him to see. One hand weakly going up to his sockets and rubbing at them in an attempt to break this heavy spell. He tried again, only getting his sockets to open for only a few more seconds. The poor little mermaid groaned, his body hurt, he was tired, and it felt like he had no energy left to do anything.

 

A hand went to his side, to the injury, to hold it. Protect it. When he noticed the seaweed bandages around it, making Sans hum in confusion. Curling up on himself while he tried to make sense of what happened.

 

Sans opened his eyes after a few more attempts, looking around the area he woke up in, noticing this place was a…. Den. But not Red’s den, no, it was too bright, he can actually see here. Damn, that meant…

 

Red. Red found him and he’s back in the other’s clutches. Sans sat up to look for him, minding his wound as he did. The mermaid spotted the other at the entrance of the den, guarding. Well great.

 

Sans looked around to see what else was here, maybe looking for weapon to catch Red off guard with…

 

Oh. Oh no. Red… looked so intimidating. Sans never really got a good look at him before, the first time he really saw him was when he was trying to recover from spitting out the shark meat, but Sans was busy at the time to really notice Red’s features. Same went for when they went hunting, Sans had been waiting for death, he was laying in Red’s hold just waiting to be killed. Not taking in Red’s features once again.

 

The same could be said with what happened today, or yesterday? Sans doesn't know how long he slept, he couldn't tell! Welp, he was to busy running from him to take him in properly.

 

But after looking back at those moments, at Red right now, he realized, how fucking scary Red actually is. And after what he just saw Red do to get him, he could safely say that Red isn't someone you should mess with. Sans actually noticed… that Red was hurt. One of his tentacles were shorter than the others, wrapped up at the tip.

 

Oh man.

 

Sans laid his hands to each of his sides, one of his itty bitty hands touching a few clams.

 

Fuck his life.

 

He sat there, eating the pile of clams, oysters and one starfish. Staring at Red’s back as he did. What does he do now? What  _ can  _ he do?

 

When he finished eating he backed away further into the den, before propelling himself as fast as he could to the exit, past Red.

  
  


_ Fuck. _ Red gasped as he saw the mermaid speed out of the den, past him. For a moment he thought it was one of the things he had caught for Sans, before he quite realized it was too big for something like that. This  _ was _ Sans.

 

His tentacles reached out within record time, barely still catching onto Sans’ fish tail, suckers getting a grip on it fast. And once he had one, he let more tentacles curl around him, pulling Sans closer.

 

“yer hurt.” Red practically growled out as he kept Sans in a firm but careful hold.

  
  


But Sans struggled anyway, just trying to get away, had been kicking his fin out to lose Red’s grip, but he failed. Even in Red’s arms, Sans still tried to get away, try to pry his body from the other's hold, but the other was just too strong.

 

The mermaid went limp from exhaustion in Red's hold, taking a breather. “jus’ let go…” He muttered already starting to mourn the freedom he barely tasted.

  
  


“yer gonna get yerself in trouble,” Red grumbled out his argument. “yer wound’ll attrack predators an’ swimmin’ will slow down the healin’.”   
  
Red couldn’t deny that he was in the same situation right now. His tentacle had been leaking blood even through the seaweed bandage for a while before it stopped, and the natural constant movement on the tentacle was still a strain.

 

But he had seven more of those, Sans only had one tail to swim with. If the wound would get too irritated it might cause more permanent damage.

  
  


“a wound  _ ya  _ made! on yer damn rampage of yers! why did ya go on a rampage for  _ me? _ jus’ find another damn mermaid dats way better than me!” Sans had begun to struggle once again, his tail fin slapping the other during his efforts. “ya got so mad. and for what? for me? both of us weren't havin’ a good time before, it would have been better if ya jus’  _ gave up on me! _ ”

  
  


“an’ then what!? get back ta bein’ alone!?” Red curled a tentacle around the flailing tail fin as it started to annoy him, keeping it still. “ya really think i’d jus’ let ya go after i let ya live  _ twice? _ i  _ want _ ya, sans. i was… scared ta lose ya.”

  
  


Sans glared at him, for the first time glared at Red and said. “‘m not yers ta lose…”

  
  
Red ignored that comment. He made sure to have a secure hold on Sans, looking back into the makeshift den to see if there was anything important left, before slowly making his way back to the gorge.

 

“yer welcome, by the way. i could’ve let those humans fry ya up. Would’a’ve saved me a tentacle.”

  
  


“never wanted ya ta. i don’  _ want  _ ta live if it’s with ya! yer not doin’ me any favors.” Sans huffed in frustration. Who does this guy think he is? Thinking Sans would be grateful for saving him? Maybe Sans  _ wanted  _ to die? He wasn't doing Sans a great service by saving him, he was forcing him to continue to live a life of hell.  _ Red  _ was the only one that wanted Sans to live, the guy was just selfish, hiding it behind false heroic intentions. 

  
  


“fine then,” Red growled out. Though he knew Sans was bluffing. He had seen the way he struggled, the way he panicked when Red had… held his soul like that. Sans wasn’t prepared to die, not really.

 

His hold on Sans got a little securer once he reached the gorge, slowly starting to lower them both.

  
  


But the moment Sans realized where they were, where they were heading to, he started to struggle more. Started to struggle with some new strength, panic slowly sinking in as  _ they _ sinked lower into the gorge. “no, no, no,  _ no,  _ **_no!_ ** ” 

 

The small fish tried everything to free himself, twisting around and doing all these moves just to get away. “ no, no! i don’  _ want  _ to go back there! i hate dat place, i hate it! don’ make me go back there, noooo!”

  
  


“ _ stop struggling! _ ” Red growled stressed, trying to hold Sans still, though with how much he was twisting and turning, and with Red having to be mindful or Sans’ wound, not to mention the fact he was a tentacle shorter, it was a harder task than expected.

 

He let out a frustrated sigh, before quickly swimming up the gorge again, placing Sans down at the edge of it, having an easier time holding him still with the support of the ground.

 

“ _ where _ do ya suggest sleepin’, then!?” Red practically demanded. “my den’s the safest place ‘round, predators ’re ta big ta fit in. an’ we’ll be attractin’. a  _ lotta. _ predators for the next few days.”

  
  


“simple!” Sans replied, just as upset. “ya go back down d’ere, while i go find a island dat suits my fancy. d’ere, everything would be right in da world!” Sans said, his hands moving to push the tentacles off his body.

  
  


“yea, no,” Red almost scoffed, before picking up Sans once more. Really, he wished now that he had taken the net with him, maybe he could’ve tied the mermaid up some way. Having to be careful with him, while Sans was trying to do nothing but make his life hell, sure wasn’t an easy task.

 

But he didn’t bother with that right now. He just swam down faster, deciding it’d be best they’d reach his den as quickly as possible. He had the odd creeping feeling there were sharks around, getting closer, and he didn’t want to have to deal with them.

 

Red squeezed into his den as quickly as possible, placing Sans down onto the grassy bed. 

 

“stay there,” Red told him roughly. “an’ don’ even think’ bout swimmin’ ‘way. ‘m right there, seein’ every one of yer movements.” He slowly let go of Sans after he said that, until not one of his tentacles were touching him, putting some distance between them and… for now just watching what Sans would do.

  
  


Sans needed a moment to ground himself, to realize where in the den he was. Damn, he  _ really  _ hated this place. Sans felt around for a second, finding specific grooves he memorized in the wall that could tell him where and how deep he was in the den. Okay. So if he was here, he would need to go this way to…

 

Sans didn't waste a second, quickly diving down at a angle, going further into the cave.

 

Because he remembered where the pile of sharp bones was…

 

Sans slammed himself into the pile of bones, his body getting many cuts, and his head even slammed to the ground. Sadly, for Sans, none of the bones impaled him as he had wanted, only grazed or scratched him. The only thing he had that was mildly concerning was the growing bruise on his forehead, his whole world dizzy and dark.

 

Welp, so much for that plan….

  
  


“god, fuck-!” Red collected Sans up with a growl of annoyance, placing him back onto the nest. Before giving him a deep bite right at the base of his tail. It was a risky move, he didn’t know how well the venom did with Sans’ body already being occupied trying to fight the open wounds, but really. It was better than having Sans run into things and hurt himself all the time.

 

“ _ stay. _ ” He instructed again, his voice deep and grave. Though he knew this time Sans had no choice, his venom working quickly, Red still kept a wary eye on Sans as he backed towards the exit slowly. He only left when he made sure Sans really couldn’t move.

  
  


Sans whined, but just let himself sink into the nest, he didn't even have a choice either. With a sign, Sans closed his eyes and just, sat there.

 

Maybe he should just go to sleep, he didn't really have anything better to do…


	6. that one sliver of light in a dark place

Red was at the bottom of the ocean. The  _ very _ bottom of the ocean. The place where you’d find giant squids and coelacanths. Where you’d find treasures that had been gone for billions of years. Where you found trash and crates covered in layers of fine crystals.

 

And he was there looking for a door.

 

It’d have to be something that he could squeeze into his den entrance, yet not quite. Something that would fit tightly enough for Sans to not be able to push out, but not too tight for Red to no longer be able to push it out. It didn’t even have to be anything fancy.

 

Red  _ did _ find something fancy, though. Very deep into the dark ocean, the water suddenly started to brighten up, light, bright colors visible over a large field. Hundreds and thousand of fluorescent corals littered the ground, brightening it up.

 

That… might actually be useful. If Sans was always complaining about how dark it was, running into things he shouldn’t run into…

 

Red dug out the softest corals he could find, trying not to damage them to keep them alive. He collected up as many as he could, around twenty smallish to medium sized plants, before he found a perfectly sized rock.

 

It was actually getting harder to swim this way. With three tentacles occupied holding the corals, two holding the rock and one cut off, he only had two left to swim with. But he still managed to get back to his den, fitting the rock into the entrance, before placing the corals around the den. It was hard finding good, stable places for them, a lot were loose and placed around clumsily, some were still stuck to plants or rocks they had been attached to, which Red tried to bury in the little bit of mud he had in his den. But in the end he grew too lazy and exhausted to actually bother with placing them properly.

 

Red sank down onto his nest next to Sans, his back to Sans’ back, though some of his tentacles still moved to lie on the other’s tail. Red wasn’t sure how he felt about the new light sources. Wasn’t sure if he liked it. But it’d be worth it if Sans would stop trying to fucking  _ get himself killed. _

 

-

 

Sans woke up feeling a lot more calmer than he should be, looking around and seeing glowing plants all around the den… 

 

He can see glowing corals.

 

_ He can see _ .

 

Sans got up, looking around the den and actually being able to make out everything, yes it was still dark, but it was bright enough. 

 

Red was sleeping and… there is a boulder at the entrance…

 

Sans tried to push it aside, but he couldn't even make it budge. Giving up on trying to escape, he started to properly set the corals in the ground, taking great care as he did so.

 

While he was working on the corals, he hummed a small tune, his mind actually being able to forget everything else and just admire and care for the coral. He never seen these kinds before, and they looked. So. Amazingly. Beautiful. 

 

As he hummed, he noticed that the coral glow brighter when he does higher tones.

 

Oh…

 

-

 

Sans sang one of the many songs he knew, swimming around to each coral from every part of the den to get it’s response to his notes. His tail started to shine more, when he gets to the higher tones his tail would light up brighter with the coral, showing off the bright dots when he reached certain parts of the song.

 

Sans was a very fast swimmer, so when the song picked up, he himself started to swim faster to each coral, even doing some flips and twirls as he swam around the den. He was really getting into it, his body dancing along to the song, smiling at the little corals that sang with him.

 

It was the first joy he ever experienced in this place.

  
  


Red had woken up some time during the song, though he doubted Sans noticed. He was lying on his stomach, face on his hands as he watched his little mermaid dance and sing in that soothing, beautiful voice of his. He hadn’t expected the mermaid to react this positively to the corals, though even less had he expected the  _ corals _ to react this positively to Sans.

 

It was so nice to watch, their little glow going brighter with Sans’ singing, the little mermaid glowing himself, showing off the pretty dots on his tail. 

 

“yer beautiful,” Red barely noticed he hummed, a smile soft on his face as he watched Sans.

  
  


Sans yelped loudly in surprise, the coral brightening up a lot due to Sans’ higher pitch. Sans turned around with wide eye sockets, seeing Red awake and staring at him, and if the position had anything to say about it, Red has been awake for a while.

 

Oh Sans feels embarrassed now, like he was doing something stupid in front of a bunch of people. So Sans curled up, muttered a few things under his breath, and let himself sink. He let his curled up body land on the den floor, the mermaid trying desperately to will himself into the ground, become one with it.

  
  


“no, no,” Red said quickly, hurried, as he swam over to Sans, tentacles picking him up gently, trying to pull Sans up, before letting go of him again. “don’ le’ me stop ya. ‘t was so nice.”

  
  


Sans looked down at the ground bashfully, his tiny hands going to cover his face, but since they were so small he settled with only covering his eye sockets. Like as if Sans couldn’t see him, neither would Red be able to see him.

 

His tail has lost its brighter glow, settling back to it’s normal hue, the dots running down his body gone. So were the coral, going back to their normal hue as well, waiting until next time they could sing with the mermaid once again.

 

Sans only continued to murmur quiet things as he hid his eyes, shaking his head to give Red a physical response.

  
  


Red mourned over his loss of a beautifully singing mermaid, wishing he hadn’t spoken up when he had. Oh well.

 

“‘m glad ya liked my gift,” Red decided to hum, floating over to the exit of his den, pulling the stone out. “i’ll be out ta hunt. ya be good an’ stay ‘ere.”   
  
Though really, Sans had no other choice anyways. He tucked the rock back to where it belonged, before making his way up and out of the gorge to catch something for Sans.

 

Red had no luck with catching small fish. They were too speedy and small for Red to get a grip on them, and Red's own mouth was too small to just swim and catch the fish in there. The most he could get were medium sized ones, two salmons and a marlin he had decided to keep himself. They were both alive but paralyzed within his tentacles. 

 

But even though the hunt had gone decently, something irked Red. There's been sirens, three of them, and they've been following him for a while now.

 

Red had first noticed them when he was hunting for salmons, a handful of sirens following, keeping their distance and watching. Red snapped a loud growl at them, watching them all flee, and at first thought they were gone. But then they came back.

 

They were pissing him off. They were doing  _ something _ and it couldn't be anything good. Were they vulturing on his prey? Or were they planning to take him out? Whichever it was, Red didn't like it.

 

He dashed over to one of the sirens quicker than she could realize it, seeing her try to turn back and flee, but it was too late. Tentacles already wrapped around her tail, slamming her hard enough to the ocean bottom that her strangled cry got cut off by the sound of something cracking.

 

Now the other sirens seemed to realize what was going on, some of them finally fleeing for good, while some went for Red instead, and Red realized they had been more after all.

 

Three came after him with claws and teeth, deadly screams that got shut up quickly with a bite of Red's venom.

 

By the end Red killed them all. He completely tore one open as he felt teeth sink into his already hurt tentacle, almost tearing their entire tail off their body, enough to reveal bone and vital organs to the ocean ground. The other two he strangled to death, leaving them all to float there lifelessly.

 

For a moment, a brief moment that Red saw the dead sirens littering the ground, corpses slowly rising up to the ocean surface, Red thought of taking them with him. Of keeping one as his next stash for food. But for some reason, eating someone of the same family as Sans seemed… vile now to him.

 

Red decided not to think about it too much, instead already heading back.

 

-

 

Sans had whistled to the corals when Red left, to entertain himself. Glaring at the rock once in a while. All the while his hands glowed, one hand over the wound on his thigh. Sans had healing magic, he kicked himself for not using it before but… there was so many things going on, he just simply forgot he could. He also healed the many cuts he had, making quick work out of them.

 

As he worked, his mind went wild.

 

He had a plan to sneak past Red when he returned, but it sort of fell short when he realized it wasn’t ideal, Red could easily stop him. He thought many ways to get past him, all of them risky, but in the end, sometimes you have to do things like that to get the things you want.

 

So Sans went to the boulder blocking the entrance, hugging it and trying to make himself smaller, so when Red pulls it out, he wouldn’t notice him yet. Giving Sans enough time to react and swim as fast as he could.

 

Now he just had to wait.

 

-

 

Red arrived a bit later. He had the still paralyzed fish in one tentacle, two others attaching to the rock as he pulled it out.

 

He didn’t notice the extra weight on it. He didn’t notice someone clinging to it. Not until he saw the bright blue fish tail brushing past him as he already pulled the boulder out.

  
  


Sans  _ bolted _ . Swimming straight up to higher sea levels, not looking back once as he made his escape. He wasn’t making the same mistake twice, if he needed to look back, it would have to be quick and not constantly. Make sure there was nothing in front of him that he could run into.

  
  


_ Shit. _ Red let out a hissed cursed, dropping the boulder and tossing the still paralyzed fish into his den quickly, before he dashed after Sans. Fucking great! Of course something like this would happen! Why couldn’t this  _ stupid _ mermaid just  _ stay!? _

 

Sans was fast, Red realized. The smell of blood wasn’t as fresh on him as it should be. Had he… healed? It didn’t matter right now. Not when Red was chasing him. Not when he had to focus on catching up with him.

 

But as a large octopus, Red was not the fastest swimmer.  _ Sans _ was.

  
  


So Sans made it out of the gorge first, didn’t even stop to look around, just headed in any direction. Only to see sirens about.

 

Oh.

 

The moment they saw Sans, they looked overjoyed, swimming up to him. Sans panicked, waving them away, to not get closer. But they all waved back at him excitedly, making Sans want to facepalm and strangle them. But soon enough their expressions changed, Sans guessed they saw the angry octopus chasing him.

 

Bless their brave souls, some continued to swim to him, to get to him, despite a dangerous octopus coming their way. While others waited, and a few started swimming away the second they saw Red. Once he made it to the rest of the sirens, they all grabbed him and started pulling him away, towards where the others were swimming to.

 

How cute, Sans thought. They were escorting him in the face of danger. But as much as Sans wanted to smile at it, he started to swim faster with the rest of the sirens.

 

“Isn’t that the one that killed starfish squad?”

 

“I think so!”

 

Sans looked at two of the sirens that were escorting him in shock. “wha? wha da ya mean  _ killed _ !?” Red didn’t… he would…

 

“We got word that you were being held captive by the fishing people, then the octopus took you against your will! We were scouting him, when one time he attacked, killed starfish squad!” One of the sirens reported.

 

Sans looked ahead with a grave face, he had a really bad feeling about this.

  
  


Apparently fast swimming wasn’t something natural to mermaids. Or at least not sirens, as some of the ones escorting Sans started to fall back, struggling to catch up. Red could see, very visibly, how the sirens started to panic the more they started falling back, the closer  _ Red _ came to them.

  
And the second Red caught up to them, tentacles were wrapping around them, crushing them with sheer, adrenaline induced force.

  
“ **_give me sans!_ ** ” He roared furiously.

  
  


A few looked back and gasped at the gruesome sight, making Sans look back and almost whimper. These soldiers are dying for  _ him,  _ they didn’t  _ have  _ to die. Not when Sans could  _ do  _ something. One by one, he saw more that started to fall behind, and it hurted Sans’ soul to see their face expressions.

 

The realization that they were falling behind, the fear in their eyes,  _ knowing  _ what their fate is going to be, expecting such a horrible death.

 

It made Sans’ soul want to explode in guilt. 

 

Sans turned to the ones next to him and said hurriedly. “‘m gonna go to him.”

 

They looked at him with shock and fear, protesting. “It will  _ kill  _ you!”

 

“no he won’.” Sans said sternly. “listen, he doesn’t want to hurt me, he just wants to keep me. i’s fine, ‘ll be ok. but ‘m gonna ask ya to stop coming for me, okay?” He didn’t say it, but his voice held a tone to it, like he was giving them a order.

 

They backed down, nodding to him, worry written on their faces.

 

Sans nodded at them once, before making a sharp turn to his right, away from the other sirens and going his own way.

  
  


As soon as Red saw Sans splitting off from the others, he followed him. He didn’t give two shits about the sirens, all he wanted was  _ Sans _ . And he was going to  _ get _ him. For a split second, when Red saw Sans leaving the others behind, he thought he was coming back to him. But no. The chase wasn’t over yet, and Sans merely was leading him somewhere else.

 

“ **ya** ** _know_** **ya can’t swim ‘way forever!** ” Red growled after him.

  
  


“watch me!” Sans called back, swimming faster now that he doesn’t have people to stick to. He saw a island in the distance, and bolted right to it, hoping, praying, that there would be something there to help him.

 

But he was starting to get slower as he was making it there, he was using to much energy, he was getting tired. He could swim fast, but he didn’t have the stamina to keep it going for that long.

 

Something Sans noticed was that the island didn’t have a sandy beach, but it was all rock. Under the water, the rock had holes everywhere, big and small, littering everywhere. Many holes were connected, he could see some holes inside others, like a sponge. It reminded Sans of those sponge animals, usually he sees them on coral reefs or so, until it hit him. Sans was way smaller than Red, and Red was a pretty big monster.

 

He could tuck himself in one of those holes!

 

Sans swam around the island, looking for a small yet big enough hole to pass through. But he had to be quick, he was losing speed and Red was catching up, so when he finally found the hole he wanted, he bolted to it. Red was getting so close,  _ too  _ close.

  
  


Red had reached out for Sans, just barely missing him, growling out a frustrated curse as his tentacle hit the wall of rock instead. He knew what Sans was planning and it was making Red anxious. If Sans got into one of the smaller holes, there was nothing he could do to get him out. Even he couldn’t break rock like that.

  
  


Sans dived into the hole, not caring how he rammed himself at the back of it. There were many little holes connected to this one, but they were way too small for Sans to pass through. Which means Sans was stuck here.

 

A feeling of dread pass through him as he looked back at the entrance, seeing Red just make it to the hole. Oh no, he was gonna get him! He was going to reach in and grab him with his tentacles! 

  
  


But Red’s tentacles reached in, they were too short to make it. Again, just  _ barely. _ He was so close he could already feel the warmth coming off of Sans, so close he could almost brush him at times, but never enough to get a hold, to pull him out.

 

“get back here!” Red growled, but his tone was already a lot less livid and more just… frustrated. “come out!”

  
  


“no!” Sans said sternly, gaining confidence now that he knew Red couldn’t get him. Was he blessed? Thank you for whoever had blessed him today!! “never! go away!”

 

Sans might be stuck, but he didn’t care, the fact that Red couldn’t get him made him so happy. He was able to grin at the other without fear that Red would strike back.  _ Because he can’t _ . 

 

He knew it was dumb, childish, but he couldn’t help it! After what Red made him go through, he felt like Red deserved it. 

 

Sans stuck out his tongue to mock the other, the very tip of his tongue  _ barely  _ touching the very tip of one of the tentacles. Sans was so glad there wasn’t a sucker on the very tip, the tip was just that.

  
  


Red let out an annoyed growl, his tentacles flailing around a little inside the hole, though it was no use really. He couldn’t reach Sans. But the fact that Sans was still  _ there, _ still so close and talking to him probably meant that… Red couldn’t  _ leave _ either.

 

“fine then. stay in there. but ya can’t stay in there ferever.” Red growled at him. “an’ i’ll be ‘ere, waitin’ the entire time.”

  
  


“guess ‘ll starve then…” Sans shrugged, seeming a lot more in peace with it than he should be. “den we  _ both  _ don’ get wha we want.” Sans doesn’t get his freedom, and Red doesn’t get him. It seemed fair in Sans’ book.

 

Sans leaned into the wall, relaxing into it. Might as well get comfortable if he was going to die here.


	7. the happy little tentacle

“ _ why _ ’re ya like this!?” Red growled out frustratedly. “why’re makin’ it so hard ta  _ keep _ ya!? tha’s all i want!”   
  
He really didn’t get it. He didn’t torture Sans, only ever hurt him by accident. He hunted for him, protected him, saved him. He even let him roam freely in the den once he had the ‘door’ and the corals to give Sans a way to see.

 

And yet he was acting like Red was trying to make his life hell with every fiber in his body. It wasn’t  _ fair! _

  
  


“why’re  _ ya  _ like dis?!” Sans fired back, glaring at the other. “have ya ever thought that i don’  _ want  _ to be kept! i’s not about ya, i have wants too! and i  _ don’t  _ want ya!”  _ Sans  _ doesn’t understand how hard that was. It’s called consent! “i hate dat ya holdin’ me against my will  _ just  _ so ya can keep me!”

  
  


“yer not gonna stay with me if i  _ ask _ ya nicely!” Red growled back. “ _ no one _ would! bu’ i’m not plannin’ ta live my life gettin’ nothin’. if i don’  _ get _ it, i  _ take _ it. this ‘s the ocean, dolphin, not a fuckin’ playground!”   
  
What else was he supposed to do? Politely ask a paralyzed mermaid if he could take him home and keep him? And what if he said no, just leave him alone to sink to the bottom of the ocean?   
  
Things didn’t go his way, not for Red.

  
  


“i’s  _ consent _ ! if someone says no, den dey have a right ta! dat doesn’ mean ya force yer way in gettin’ it! ya can’t always get wha ya want!” Sans said back, not believing what is coming out of Red’s mouth. Just because he doesn’t get the answer he wants, he just takes it? That’s unfair! “if i don’ wanna be with ya, den i don’ have ta! can’ believe yer actin’ like ‘m doin’ something bad trying to swim away from my  _ captor! _ ”

 

Isn’t it common knowledge that people that are taken against their will fight back? Try to run? Escape?

  
  


“i was  _ tryin’ _ ta make amends!” Red growled back. “went huntin’ just fer ya! got ya lights! let ya roam as much as i could without ya swimmin’ away. but. that’s.  _ the issue. _ ya  _ keep _ fuckin’ swimmin’ ‘way!”   
  
He would’ve taken Sans to sunbathe if he knew he wouldn’t swim away. Would’ve let him explore places or hunt by himself. But he had  _ no _ reason to trust Sans would stay, and  _ all _ reason to know he wouldn’t.

 

“yer only makin’ it harder on yerself!”

  
  


“‘m only doin’ da rational thing in  _ swimmin’ ‘way  _ from a scary, mean, murderer! ‘m unhappy with ya! wha is d’ere not to get?  _ of course  _ i would run ‘way!” Sans growled himself, his mermaid voice not made to growl, it instead sound like a rumbling purr. “yer mean, ya keep me locked up, i can’ do anything i want to do, and ya manhandle me all the time because ya  _ know  _ i can’ fight ya!”

  
  


“i would let ya do thin’s if i could  _ trust _ ya!” Red argued back, his tone almost desperate. “i don’ like keepin’ ya locked up  _ either! _ ‘s jus’ more work fer me! bu’ wha’ else  _ can _ i do? yer jus’ gonna  _ leave _ if i don’.” Either that or he would have to take Sans with him everywhere he went. But he doubted Sans would like getting dragged even deeper into the gorge, where the water pressure would be even noticeable to him.

  
  


“and why should i trust  _ ya? _ ” Sans fired back, feeling outraged that this was apparently all  _ his  _ fault. For trying to get away from the one that kidnapped him. “give me a good reason why i should trust ya? besides all dat feeding and protecting stuff! because i already  _ had  _ dat at home! i don’ need ya to get me food or protect me!”

 

It was like Red thought he was completely useless! Like he couldn’t do anything right and would die by himself. How does he think he lived to be where he was right now? He had a whole  _ kingdom  _ that would protect him, why is  _ one  _ octopus a better choice?

  
  


“‘cause i  _ wan’ _ ya. i didn’ try ta hurt ya once. ‘m doin’ all i can ta make ya more comfortable with me.” Reds voice got a little darker, more serious as he went on. “an’ it doesn’ matter wha’ ya do. ‘m takin’ ya with me.” Maybe he could find a coral or a branch to reach deeper inside, push Sans closer to his tentacles. Or get a rock big and solid enough to break the edges of the hole…

 

“yer not gonna die in there. ya know yer not ready ta die anyways.”

  
  


Sans only crossed his arms and gave Red a look, one that screamed, ‘m waiting’. And he was. “if yer gonna get me, den do i’.” Sans challenged, his tone and body language screamed at Red to get on with it, do it, show him.  _ Daring  _ Red to do it.

 

Knowing fully well Red  _ can’t  _ get him out.

  
  


Red didn’t respond. His tentacles left the hole, and so did Red, looking for a tool, always keeping the hole in view in case Sans thought he could just leave, ready to bolt after him.

 

But it really didn’t take long for him to find a coral, thin and long, sturdy, but not too much for Red to be unable to break it off. With that in his firm hold, Red went back to the hole, tentacles slipping in, now with an extended reach of the coral, poking Sans into the side, trying to nudge him closer.

  
  


Sans made a hum of complaint, swatting at the coral. “no, bad red, no.” Sans pushed the coral away from him, making sure he didn’t get in the other’s reach. “no, you’ll yell at me again.” Sans grumbled.

 

Remembering the first and only time he opened up to Red, telling him some of the favorite things he liked to do, only to get snapped at. “yer mean, just like when ya got mad when i  _ actually  _ tried talking to you. share wha i damn liked ta do!” It was when Sans shut down for days, having had that realization that he doesn’t matter. His choices doesn’t matter. 

  
  


Red had a hard time at first to remember, not able to recall a time Sans  _ talked _ to him. The only time he really told him what he liked was when he asked him what he ate and… when he was complaining about no longer being able to do things.

 

Was that what he was talking about?   
  
“i was stressed,” Red told him, his voice slightly defensive, though he tried to keep it soft. “i thought ya were just complainin’ ta me, after i jus’ got ya the food ya wan’ed. it pissed me off.”   
  
He slowly pulled the tentacle holding the coral back, replacing it with another tentacle, just sort of lying in the hole loosely.   
  
“i didn’ mean ta yell at ya when ya talk ta me. i  _ wan’ _ ya ta talk ta me!”

  
  


Sans stayed quiet, looking at the ground, curling up a little bit. His body sinking to the floor of the hole, still out of reach. “i wanna go explore again… i wanna sunbath, i wanna hunt for my own food…” Sans muttered, his face slack and tired. “i want to do stuff without ya tryna supervise me or hold me down, control me.”

 

Sans thought about his words carefully, thinking about everything he liked and wanted. “i want ya ta stop killing my people…” He  _ knows  _ for a fact that his people won’t let this go. Knowing he’s in danger, would most likely try to fight Red. He doesn’t want anymore of his people to die for him, only for it to be in vain.

 

Red’s words bouncing around his head, how he wanted to trust Sans, let him do what he pleased, actually trust him.

 

Would it really be so bad to live with this guy if it meant his people wouldn’t get killed by him? If Red agreed, let him have his freedom, let him do as he pleased, just for Sans to live with Red in return. That would be nice, Sans can still see his friends and family, he just won’t be living in the kingdom.

 

“i will stay with ya…” Sans finished, breathing in a deep breath as he turned his head to stare at Red, his expression serious.

  
  


Red looked back at Sans, his own eyes wide and surprised. Did he just hear that right? Did Sans just  _ agree? _ Just like that? After all the shit they’ve been through?

 

“wha’s the catch?” Red asked doubtfully, though even if he had trouble believing Sans would just agree to him, his tentacles were already reaching out for him again, hopeful and wanting.

  
  


“i already told ya wha i want, if ya can do all dat… ‘ll won’ swim away, ‘ll stay with ya…” Sans feels like he is making a major decision. And he was, he was going to willingly live with this deep sea predator. He still stayed out of the tentacle’s reach, not wanting Red to get the drop on him.

  
  


“ok,” Red replied, without any hesitation. He didn’t mind giving Sans more freedom. Didn’t mind letting him hunt by himself, letting him sunbathe. Didn’t mind not killing people.

 

But he wasn’t stupid either.

  
“i can’t… let ya alone immediately. ya can do yer stuff, but i gotta be there, too. where i can see ya,” Red told the mermaid, his own tone matching Sans’ serious tone. “jus’ at first. until i… know i can trust ya.”

  
  


“jus’ at first.” Sans repeated, almost like a warning. Before he went meek, for the next part. “do ya promise?”

  
  


Red was surprised by the sudden change of voice, the sound of it almost making his soul swell.

 

“i promise,” Red replied, his own voice as soft as he could make it. He reached out once more, one tentacle, as if to offer it to Sans.

  
  


Sans’ hand went up to grab it, almost in reach, before the mermaid looked up, slight bit of suspicion in his face and tone. “ya won’... break it… right?”

  
  


“i don’ break promises,” Red responded. Really, there wasn’t a lot more than this that he could tell him. Sans just had to trust him on that. Or not and call the whole thing off. But Red couldn’t do more than promise.

  
  


“okay…” Sans muttered, finally putting his hand out for Red to grab him, the mermaid pressing his tiny little hand on the tentacle, his hand couldn’t even wrap around it. His little bitty fingers trying to curl up a little to get ahold of the tentacle to make up for it. “i promise too.”

  
  


Red’s tentacle quickly turned around the small hand as soon as it could reach, pulling the mermaid close and immediately into his arms. Red held him close in a hug, his tentacles wrapping around Sans, like he was terrified he would just leave again any moment.

 

“thank ya,” Red muttered out quietly, voice mumbled as he had his face buried in Sans’ neck.

  
  


Sans looked a little embarrassed, wrapping his arms around Red’s neck hesitantly, patting his back with one hand. “um… sure?” Oh, Sans wonders how the rest of his life is going to be like. How living with a deep sea creature was going to be like.

 

Red was very… affectionate though. It always brought Sans through a loop every time, baffling him every single time. “yer weird. i don’ understand ya a’ all.” What was so special about Sans? What does he got that grabs Red’s attention so much? Makes the octopus obsessed with wanting to have him, even go so far as to go on a rampage and hurt others?

  
  


Red didn’t respond to that, just letting them float in the water together, revelling in the closeness. Only after he felt somewhat satisfied, did he loosen his hold a little, no longer hiding his face in Sans’ neck and looking at him instead.

 

“le’s go home. before the venom runs out an’ our dinner swims ‘way.” Oh, wasn’t that something too familiar.

 

Red already began swimming towards his gorge, keeping Sans close to his chest as he brought them both there.

  
  


Sans hummed in compliance, resting his head on Red’s shoulder, closing his sockets as he just felt everything around him. The moving water, Red’s body, every move he made. “‘ll at some point gotta tell my kingdom ‘m alright… when i see dem around again.” Sans warned, but his voice was drawled, like he was either sleepy or just not really trying that hard.

 

And Sans  _ knew  _ they would come back. He even worried for the soldiers that survived, they might get fired after they tell the kingdom they left Sans to the octopus. Only Sans could set things straight, only his words alone can make them stop.

 

Without Red chasing him, making the kingdom doubt his words. Think it’s a heroic and noble act.

  
  


“ok,” Red muttered, considering the situation. If Sans was the reason why the sirens had been stalking him all day, then he didn’t doubt they would continue doing so. And especially after having promised he wouldn’t kill any more, they might get actually problematic.

 

“but yer comin’ back,” Red reminded him, just to be sure.

  
  


“of course,” Sans said dismissively, figuring that’s a given.

  
  


The rock was gone when they arrived at the den, probably having sunk below to the ocean bottom once more. But at least their dinner was still there and alive, just barely starting to twitch.

 

Red, very reluctantly, let go of Sans once they were in the den, still curiously watching what he would do next…

  
  


Sans turned his body to be facing the den, only for a smile to spread over his face after he saw the salmon,  _ two of them _ ! Sans swam to the poor fish, gently grabbing them and pressing them to his chest.

 

Thank you little fish, for giving me your wonderful meat.

 

“i uh…” Sans paused, having second thoughts on sharing the little bit of information he was about to share. Remembering the first time he tried to share a bit about himself to Red. But Red said he  _ wanted  _ Sans to talk to him, tell him stuff. He...

 

Sans spoke softly, his hands petting the fishes in his hold gently, like he was trying to calm them. Calm them from their fate, that they knew was coming, that Sans knew was coming. “do ya know… salmon is my favorite food?”

  
  


Red brightened a little at the words. Both about finding out he had gotten Sans’ favorite food, but also over the mere fact that Sans was talking to him again. Actually talking to him, in a normal conversation kind of way.

 

“i didn’,” Red admitted as he went over to the three fish as well, picking up the marlin he had caught for himself. “‘m really glad, though. they’re easier ta catch than smaller ones, too.”

  
  


“i wouldn’ know, i jus’ sing and dey all jus’ come ta me.” Sans  _ did  _ say he has tricks to catch the food he ate, make the process faster. It mostly works for almost everything he eats, besides jellyfish. 

 

Sans’ hands wandered to the gills of one of the fish, sticking his fingers inside it to try and find the neck. He always liked putting them out of their misery, so they don’t have to suffer anymore than they have too. There was a solid ‘crack’, one salmon in Sans’ hold going slack. Sans’ hand retreated from the gills and went to the other one, to repeat the process.

  
  


“y’ know, maybe i should try tha’ some time,” Red offered with an amused snort in his voice. “they might not come ta me, but a’ least they’d all jus’ die by the sound of it.”

 

Red wasn’t a good singer, not by far. Well, he’s never actually sang before, but his voice was rough and dark to begin with. If anything he might be more useful as a growler.

  
  


Sans actually laughed at the joke, his laugh soft and fluffy, with his mermaid voice it sounded like little bells. “heh, oh no. da poor fish.” Sans couldn’t help himself, he thought of fishes of all kinds hearing Red sing, imagining their heads popping from them trying to take the voice.

 

It was a rude and a mean thought to think about, not only to Red but also just because he was thinking of death like that and was laughing about it. But Red made the joke himself, and he looked like the type to not get offended or angry at some jokes.

  
  


Red smiled at the soft laugh, immediately laughing with him. No matter what noise Sans would make, it would just always sound perfect, wouldn’t it? He didn’t think he could’ve gotten a better mermaid.

  
  


The mermaid noticed he couldn’t really open the fish up, he had little round nubby fingers, he couldn’t tear into the salmon. So he put the salmon down, and lazily swam to the pile of bones, grabbing one with a sharp point and moving to take it back with him to the awaiting salmon.

  
  


Red had his own fish between his teeth as his head followed Sans’ movement to watch him. He snapped through the meat, biting off a piece, before he talked through his mouth full.

  
“don’... hurt yerself,” Red warned a little anxiously. He hadn’t thought that Sans would still try to do that, but… the sight of him with his bone still didn’t exactly make him feel very  _ safe. _

  
  


“‘ll be fine.” Sans said, sitting back down where his fish laid, positioning the sharp end to the stomach of the fish. He made a clean slice down from the end of the head to the tail, after the fish was cut the bone was laid right next to Sans. Sans opening up his meal and started to dig in.

 

“see, jus’ fine.” Sans smiled lazily, a mouth fun of food, with his sockets lazily shut. Wow, Red was such a worry wart. Sans had a feeling that he wouldn’t be able to do dangerous stuff with Red on watch, like a mother doing so with their children.

  
  


Red let out an almost visible sigh, continuing to eat his own fish. The marlin was pretty big, Red doubted he could eat it all in one sitting, though the salmon were kind of small-ish in exchange. Though Sans probably ate less anyways.

 

“yer not… gonna try ta hurt yerself again one day… right?” Red still asked a little anxiously. Sans not hurting himself had… technically not been part of the deal. Which Red now regretted not mentioning earlier.

  
  


“oh.” Sans now felt awkward. It felt weird being called out on his suicide attempts, asking if he wouldn’t do it again. It felt… like he did a bad and he knows he did a bad and  _ knows  _ someone is worrying, but doesn’t know what to say. Well, Sans  _ knew  _ what to say, it was just weird and awkward for Sans to say it. 

 

“uh… no. not plannin’ on it.” Wow, way to make Sans feel bad, won’t ya? Geez, why does Red have to look so anxious and worried? How dare he worry, make Sans feel bad for making him worry. They just  _ now  _ got on good terms, both trying to put their rocky start behind them. Try to be normal, try to act like everything's okay. And everything  _ was  _ okay, it was just weird after all that time things were not okay.

  
  


“...k,” Red muttered out. He wasn’t entirely sure if he could believe Sans just yet, but… he had no other choice but to trust him for now. So he dropped the topic, instead focusing back on his own food, curious eyes still watching Sans.

  
  


They talked, small chit chat while they ate. A lot of pauses in between due to both of them still trying to get used to their new ‘friendly’ relationship. Sans actually ended up eating both of the salmon, giving Red a daring glare when the other suggested to stop. 

 

With his chubby tummy filled up to the brim, Sans laid down on the seaweed bed, lazily looking at the other creature in the den. Sans studied the octopus, more interested in the edgy features of him. Like the claws and teeth. But then his gaze went to Red’s hurt tentacle, seeing a new cut on it, slitting some of the seaweed that was wrapped around the wound. 

 

Sans sat up and reached his hand to the tentacle shyly, like he would get rejected. “can i… see it for a sec?” His head was aimed down, but his gaze was aimed up, to look at Red’s face.

  
  


Red actually pulled the tentacle back a little. If Sans would’ve reached for any other tentacle, he wouldn’t have minded in the least. But this one was hurt, was still taking a while to regrow. He simply, instinctually, didn’t want anyone close to it…

 

But Sans didn’t pose any harm to him. Sans…  _ probably _ wouldn’t, but most definitely  _ couldn’t _ hurt him. So he lowered his tentacle again, closer to Sans.

 

“...alright.”

  
  


Sans grabbed the tentacle delicately, his arms moving around it to gently hug the tentacle to his chest. One hand went to carefully remove the seagrass around the stub, examining it. That  _ must  _ have hurt…. and it  _ was  _ Sans’ fault.

 

The hand that took off the seaweed was now hovering over the wound, while the other arm still held the tentacle close to him. Like he was comforting it and also protecting it from being taken away from him. It’s something he often finds himself doing, with his still alive meals that he himself is going to kill, and other hurt beings he was trying to heal.

 

His hand began to glow, with his ecto body following along, the dots going down his body appearing, but instead of a normal white, it was yellow. The same yellow glow his hand had.

 

The thing about his healing properties is that, he just gives some of his magic to the injured area, giving it the extra strength and power to speed up the healing process faster. Good thing too, because if Sans were to only heal and close up wounds, Sans would have permanently made Red’s tentacle forever shorter. But thankfully, Sans couldn’t, instead letting the tentacle grow itself, only it can know what it truly needs.

  
  


Red was watching Sans, quite literally, do his magic, eyes wide in wonder. He hadn’t known what to expect, but even if he had, he would’ve never expected… this. Wouldn’t’ve expected Sans to  _ heal _ him. To help him regrow his tentacle...

  
  


When the last of the tentacle was regrown, Sans’ hand stopped glowing, so did the rest of him. Sans’ gently leaned to the tentacle, placing a soft kiss on the tip of it. The second he did, the pain that remained in the tentacle vanished, the same with Sans’ leftover magic that was chilling inside of the organ, disappearing. 

 

“d’ere, good as new.” Sans gently felt the regrown part of the tentacle, feeling the texture to see if it regrew properly, before letting go. Sans looked at Red, then quickly looked back down again, feeling like he was the center of attention, and he didn’t know how to feel about it. “uh… thanks fer… lettin’ me.”

  
  


The newly grown tentacle quickly wrapped around Sans’ body, like the tentacle’s own individual version of a hug.

 

“ya healed it…” Red said, still slightly in disbelief. “‘s all grown back…  _ thank  _ ya!” He would’ve probably had to live with a stump for a few more weeks had Sans not healed it, which… was definitely not the end of the world, but… he was still so grateful. 

  
  


“ah! i did!” Sans said back, trying to keep up with the situation. He petted the tentacle, like it was it’s own living being.  “yer welcome!” Before he let out a loud yawn. Good thing he ate a lot tonight, healing sure did take it out of him a bit.

 

“i think, ‘m gonna go ta sleep.” Sans muttered, deciding to just lay limp in the tentacle’s hold. This was fine. He can sleep like this.

  
  


Red, however, didn’t think his tentacle alone was the right place for his mermaid to sleep at. He dropped his own marlin, deciding he’d had enough to eat for now, before heading to their seaweed nest. Though that didn’t mean that he just laid Sans down there. He lied down himself, though kept Sans in his tentacles, the hold loose, but the squishy magic of his tentacles cushioning the mermaid.

 

“night,” Red said himself, though he wasn’t quite going to sleep himself. He was content just watching Sans for a little bit…

  
  


Sans nodded sluggishly, curling up and snuggling into the tentacles to get himself comfortable. “night.”


	8. spider dance

“red, come on, the sun is best  _ now _ .” Sans groaned.

 

Today would be his first day being free while living with Red. But the lazy fucker was either pretending he was asleep and didn’t want to get up, or he was just that big of a heavy sleeper.

 

Sans sighed, moving to the entrance as he sang teasingly, mockingly. “i guess ‘ll jus’ go sunbathin’  _ alone _ ~” Inching to the exit every second.

  
  


But Red quickly wrapped one tentacle around Sans’ tail fin. Not even to stop him, more to let Sans drag him along and out of the den. He was lazy, yes, but he also didn’t want Sans to go alone.

  
  


Sans whined as he tried to wiggle out of Red’s grip, drawling out the other’s name when he called for him. “rrreeeeeeed!” Trying a bit more to wiggle out of Red’s grasp, and failing, he flops on the den floor face first, giving up, groaning. 

 

“i jus’ wanna sunbaaaaatthhe!” Sans whined.

  
  


“fiiiiine,” Red groaned back, though he didn’t even open his eyes as he began crawling towards Sans, one tentacle reaching for his marlin to take it with him as a snack. Or breakfast. Whichever.

  
“le’s go then.” He still instinctively wrapped a few tentacles around Sans as he left the den, holding him close to himself. Though he stopped as soon as he noticed it, his eyes wide and tentacles loosening.

  
“uh. sorry.”

  
  


“thanks.” Was the only thing Sans replied with, before he started to swim upwards, towards the surface.

 

They went around looking for a big rock that stuck out from the water, Sans picking up any any food he found on the way. Like a trumpet conch and a geoduck clam. When they did find the perfect rock, Sans picked a few starfishes that were attached to said rock. When Sans finally pulled himself up there, with Red’s help, he was happy to find a nice little hole in the rock to place all his food while he bathed. 

 

Putting all his food into the small hole, Sans laid down right next to it, liking how the rock seemed so perfectly shaped for sunbathing. With a little dish bowl right there too! His tail fin was touching the water, so he could move his fin to splash water on himself if he gets to dry.

 

_ Oh this was amazing. _

 

Sans thought, as he reached with his eyes close to the treats he had and grabbed the geoduck clam, biting into it. Yup, amazing.

  
  


Red himself never cared too much about sunbathing. He stayed close to make sure Sans wouldn’t leave, placing himself on a smaller rock close to Sans’, where he began eating his own food. 

 

Sans seemed really relaxed, though. With his ‘bowl’ of snacks, his tail fin to keep himself wet. Just chilling there in the sun, enjoying the good life. Red really envied him for that. Looking this relaxed and comfortable. Red himself didn’t think he could relax while sunbathing like that. He preferred dark, crammed places.

 

But he  _ did _ enjoy watching Sans, oddly enough. His ecto scales shimmering nicely in the sunlight, his beautifully shaped body, the look of comfort on his face… Red found himself enamored by the sight of it. All of it.

  
  


Sans though, didn't notice Red staring, and probably wouldn't care much either. His tail quickly moving up, the tail fin acting as a little bowl to cup the water, then slash it over his body. He would turn to lay on his stomach and do the same thing in a hour, planning to rotate every hour so he would be nice and warm on both sides.

  
  


They stayed like this for a couple of hours, Red even dozing off at one point. When he woke up again, Red almost panicked. Almost expected Sans to be gone. But the mermaid was still there, still sunbathing. Which kind of grounded Red a little.

 

Sans had promised to stay. He wasn’t going to swim away the first moment he’d got a chance. He wasn’t going to try to escape as soon as Red would leave him alone.

 

He still didn’t like leaving Sans by himself, preferred to come with him for the next few days whenever Sans went to sunbathe, to explore places, sunken ships, to hunt. Oh, Red  loved to watch Sans hunt. Loved to hide a little bit farther off, watching him, listening to him sing in his beautiful, soft voice as all kind of sea creatures gathered around him, all just as enamored as Red was.

 

Really, Red didn’t understand how Sans could keep saying Red could just replace him. Even mindless  _ fish _ recognized his worth and beauty, no mermaid in the whole ocean could ever compare to Sans.

 

But that was also exactly why Red didn’t like it when Sans came to him once more, bringing up the topic about telling his kingdom where he was staying.

 

“they’re gonna wan’ ta take ya from me,” Red muttered out, pouting at Sans.

  
  


“ _ dats  _ why i  _ gotta _ .” Sans tried to reason, being very patient with Red at the moment. He didn’t want Red to feel threatened, call off the whole thing just so there wouldn’t be a chance that Sans wouldn’t come back. “i see dem come around often around dis time, i gonna need to go now.” 

 

Sans tried to be sympathetic, but he just couldn’t. Red finally got him, Sans is staying, what more could this guy want? He patted Red’s head gently, comfortably, looking at the den’s entrance as he did so. “‘m wanna explore the island we found the other day, we can do dat when ‘m done talkin’ to em, okay?”

  
  


Red still let out a small whine, not wanting to let the other go. What if the other mermaids didn’t allow Sans to stay? What if they’d take him, keep him away from him? And Red couldn’t  _ get _ him either, no longer allowed to kill any of the sirens or mermaids…

  
“can i come with ya…?” Red asked, his voice small and shy almost, anxious of getting rejected. “i’ll stay back an’ hide. i jus’. wanna know yer ok…”

  
  


This octopus worries too much, Sans thought. The sirens aren’t gonna  _ hurt  _ him, never. “only if dey don’ see ya.” Sans muttered, moving to the door and motioning him to come along.

  
  


Red nodded like a loyal little puppy, one tentacle curling around the tip of Sans’ tail, right where his fin sprouted.

  
  


They swim out together, to a clearing the sirens usually stay and watch over. It  _ was  _ a really big area, you can watch a big part of the sea by just being in this area, and this is a place Sans guessed his kingdom spots him the most in, since it’s really close to the gorge. Red stayed behind, behind a rock as Sans swam along, he looked around for any life, before calling out for his people. It wasn’t long after that they came, attracted to his calling voice.

 

A lot of them looked around to try and spot the octopus, wary, but a lot of them zoomed over to Sans, tackling in a big hug pile. Sans let it happen, laughed when it happened, trying to give back with his own hugs with his own small, short, chubby little arms.

 

“haha, hi!” Sans smiled at them all, only to get bombarded with questions.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Did he hurt you?”

 

“Where is he now?”

 

“Is he gone?

 

“Can we take you home now?”

 

Oof, home. This is going to be difficult. “uh, actually…” Sans started, already can see each of their expressions changed with his tone of voice. They knew Sans was going to say something they didn’t like, and they were scared. Sans felt bad, but what can he do?

  
  


Red was barely peeking out from behind the rock, watching his little mermaid from the distance. He didn’t like the way the other mermaids and sirens kept swimming towards Sans, hugging him, holding him. Not necessarily because they were showing affection, but because with every movement they made towards Sans, with every hand on and around his mermaid, Red felt threatened, like they were taking him, like they were  _ keeping _ him. 

 

He had to struggle to not barge at them, to stay quiet and let Sans do his thing. Sans said it would be fine. Sans promised he’d stay. He wouldn’t let them take him away… right?

  
  


While Red was behind his rock, worrying. Sans explained his position to his race, telling them of the deal they had, and that Sans would need them to stop coming out here for him. Stop trying to get him back, to stop. He promised he would visit the kingdom often, he has the freedom to, but he just can’t  _ live  _ there.

 

Naturally, they complained, not wanting Sans to stay, they wanted Sans to be safe and with his own people. Sans only shook his head to that. “no, if i try to leave em, he’ll go on a rampage again, and dis time on our kingdom.”

 

“Rampage?” One of them asked, Sans nodded, giving a quick summary of him escaping Red, getting captured by the fishing people, and Red coming to save him. The same incident that caused rumors to start going around of Sans being with Red.

 

“please, can ya do dis for me?” Sans asked, almost pleading.

 

The others looked conflicted, like they didn’t know what to do. And they don’t. It’s not their call to just give up on Sans like this. And Sans realized this.

 

“i renounce my position,” Sans declared, the others around him panicking, wanting to stop him but couldn’t. It wasn’t their place to. “and i choose to live outside the kingdom. Those are my final orders.”

 

Everyone went quiet, letting it sink in. Want to object, but couldn’t. It was an order. A decree. 

 

“go tell the king, please.” Sans muttered, looking at them sadly, a gentle smile on his face. Soon, the rest of the sirens started to file away, all looking hesitant and unsure. Sans waved them off, while also backing up to where he knew Red was. He didn’t turn around until his people were out of sight, gone.

 

Only then did Sans turn around and start to swim towards where Red would be.

  
  


As soon as Red saw Sans coming back for him, the sirens and mermaids gone, he came out of his hiding place and dashed towards his mermaid and wrapping his arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

 

“yer back,” he breathed out, oh so clearly relieved. “was so scared they’d take ya…”

  
  


“yer a mother hen, ya realize dat?” Sans teased. He noticed this more than once, Red being the scary, mean, demanding person, yet he acts like this. A loyal puppy, following him around closely, worrying all the time for something that’s not gonna happen. “chill, have more faith in me.”

 

He should, because Sans is literally giving up his whole life to be with him. Give the poor mermaid some credit.

  
  


“‘s not ya i was worried ‘bout, ‘s  _ them. _ ” Red didn’t really think Sans would suddenly leave him like that. He wasn’t…  _ completely _ convinced yet he wouldn’t, but he’s seen often enough that Sans would come back if he just waited. That he was keeping his promise.

 

But he didn’t know  _ shit _ about other mermaids or sirens.

 

“ya… mentioned an island ta explore…?”

  
  


“yea, dat way.” Sans pointed to the direction where the island would be, growing more excited about getting to be on an island again. He didn’t really mind when Red carried him, he was a lazy mermaid to begin with. 

 

Oh, this will be the first time Sans would explore a island with someone. Which means Red will see Sans struggle when he is dragging himself on land, oh no! Hopefully Red can walk on land like some octopi could, could maybe carry him and give Sans new access to places he couldn’t have gone by himself. Now  _ that  _ would be nice.

 

“red, can ya walk on land?” Got to make sure though, don’t want to be disappointed later.

  
  


“uh, yea,” Red replied as he swam towards the direction Sans led him to. “ya wan’ me ta carry ya on land?” He wouldn’t mind it, really. It took awhile for Red to dry out, and while walking on land might be a bit of a hassle at times, especially on sand, it was manageable.

 

And… it’d be worth it if it’d make Sans happy. Maybe he’d even sing a little for Red.

  
  


“ _ yes! _ ” Sans nodded excitedly, his tail swishing hyperactively. “i can finally see da stuff i couldn’ reach before!” Not unless dragging his body around for who knows how far and long. He didn’t do it mostly due to predators that could take advantage of his state, or because he could dry out, or mostly because it was very exhausting to drag your own body around. But with Red, Sans wouldn’t have to do anything, would be free to touch and explore everything!

 

Maybe Red can even lift him up so Sans can touch the leaves of some tree.

  
  


Red was chuckling happily at Sans’ excitement, never having seen his ability to walk on land as such a big deal before. But he figured it might be to some that never had been able to before…

 

He could already see the island in the distance, the large rock leading up and eventually breaking the water’s surface. Red made his way towards it, looking for a good place where he could get them on land.

 

“were ya plannin’ ta go somewhere specific?”

  
  


“in da trees, in da trees!” Sans pointed to the very luscious plant life, where there wasn’t any water for Sans to swim in. Sans practically threw himself forwards, his hands reaching out, almost falling out of Red’s hold. He never felt this excited before in a  _ very  _ long time! And he has good reason to, this is something he dreamed of doing, and now he would.

  
  


“oof!” Red gasped out a little startled, barely keeping Sans in his hold. “ya gotta hold on if ya don’ wan me ta drop ya,” he warned the mermaid, before pulling Sans back into his hold, tentacles reaching out for the rocky ground as he began dragging himself forward.

 

He crawled towards an exotic forest, glad about the soft grass under his tentacles once he got there, the soft shade from the plants. He even began climbing one of the trees, suckers holding onto the bark and pulling Red upwards, as the octopus held tightly onto Sans. He took a rest at one of the bigger branches, surrounded by big leaves and bugs.

  
  


Sans though, looked to be having the best day of his life, touching everything in reach, feeling the texture and just… enjoying everything. He picked one of the leaves and examined the veins he could see inside it, his fingers running over them. Sans saw a spider dancing funnily when Red had sat down to rest, pointing it out to the octopus to see as well.

 

There was another spider, less as pretty and bigger, watching the colorful spider move it’s abdomen and legs around. It was kinda funny and cute at the same time. “look red, look at dat creature!” Sans’ hand was patting Red’s cheek excitedly, wanting the other to look now before the weird small creature stopped. “do ya know what are d’ose?” He asked, enamored by the movements.

  
  


Red watched the tiny spiders with an amused snort, trying to figure out what they were doing. Man. Land creatures sure were weird. No wonder they fled the ocean to inhabit this odd place instead, now unable to traverse the majority of the world.

 

“no idea, bu’ that thing’s ridiculous,” Red snorted amused. “funky lil’ land thing.”

  
  


Sans laughed as he saw the legs kick up, like little jazz hands. Then, Sans started to copy said spider, making jazz hands and wiggling in Red’s hold. “funky!” Sans wiggled his hips when the spider did, moved his hands when the spider did, tried to lift his butt when the spider did, it was amusing. 

  
  


And Red was laughing with him as the mermaid began dancing and wiggling in his arms. He had to secure his hold a little more, anxious he was going to drop Sans from the tree, but he didn’t want to stop him either.

  
  


Then they saw the ugly bigger spider look less aggressive, the dancing spider jumped onto it. Moving into position to… oh… _ oh. _

 

Sans stared at the spiders a little embarrassed,  his cheeks flaring up as he realized what really was going on. “o-oh…!”

 

It was just like his kind, where Sans’ tail will glow brightly and his dots would appear, attracting possible mates. And Sans now realized that's what the dance was for, to gain the female’s approval. 

  
  


Oh, that only made Red laugh even more. Not just the fact that Sans had just imitated a spider’s mating dance, but also the mermaid’s adorable reaction, so flustered and embarrassed, like he’s never seen two creatures mate before. An innocent little bab.

  
  


Sans stared at the two spiders, until he realized how rude it was, looking away. After a few moments past, Sans started to wiggle again, doing the same moves he saw the male spider do. But he was looking around, laughing lightly, slightly awkward. “where is my mate?” He joked, giggling lightly.

  
  


“mmh, i ‘dunno.” Red replied, leaning back on the branch a little, his back towards the trunk of the tree. “the only other creature ‘round seems to be me. huh.”   
  
He hadn’t actually meant to… insinuate anything. In fact, Red wasn’t even aware he was, simply having pointed out the fact that they were alone. That there ‘wouldn’t be anyone’ to be Sans’ mate…

 

Sans’ face blossomed to a bright blue, looking up at Red while he stilled his movements. “... w-wha…?” Did he just hint that he wanted to be Sans’ mate… That would actually explain a lot of his behavior since the beginning. Why else would someone be so picky and so obsessed with having one specific person as their living companion? No, people weren't as picky with a friend or companion you live with. Someone  _ can  _ be picky about their lover though, want to always be close to them.

 

All the times Red told him he just ‘wanted him’, nothing more. All those hugs and the affectionate treatment… the favoritism. 

 

“...is…  _ that _ why ya… are so obsessed with wanting…me?” Sans asked in pure shock and confusion.

  
  


“wha’?” Red asked, still chuckling slightly, his arms tightly around Sans as he was keeping him rested on his stomach. “what’er ya talkin’ ‘bout? ya know i met a couple a other mermaids.” He didn’t really understand why them being the only creatures around right now would explain Red’s obsession. That was only now. Red had also been obsessed when they  _ weren’t _ the only ones around… it didn’t really matter.

  
  


Sans blinked at him, before shaking his head with a small laugh. “hehe, oops. nevermind me, i was bein’ silly for a second.” Sans’ arms wrapped around Red’s neck, while his head was angled down, his forehead touching the edge of Red’s mouth and cheek. 

 

What was he thinking!? Octopi don’t look for long term mates, they barely even mate at all! Red was just lonely and just wanted someone, and that someone he met was Sans. Sans still might not know why Red was still so obsessed with him specifically, but he could just write it off as Red being weird. He  _ was  _ anti social and stubborn, maybe he just liked to stick with what he already had.

 

_ But to go so far as to do the things that he’s done? _

 

A small voiced in his head asked him, only for Sans to shush it away. No, Red is clear in what he wants, and he just wants a companion. 

 

Sans looked to the side in embarrassment, only to notice the spiders. The male walking away, with the air of a job well done, then the female coming from behind and kill him. What!? And just walk away, without eating or doing anything else with the body! She killed him for the hell of it! When he worked so hard in getting her approval, only to get stabbed in the back!

 

Sans cuddled his head under Red’s chin, his grip on Red tighten as he pressed himself to the other. “but…  _ why!? _ ” Sans asked desperately, looking at Red for answers to this cruel world. “why would she just kill him for the heck of it!?”

  
  


Now  _ that _ was a question Red could answer. Octopi usually did the same thing, females killing off the males after mating.   
  
“‘cause ‘s one predator less now,” Red replied. “if she wouldn’t’ve done it, he might’ve. ‘s a survival of the fittest kinda world, dolphin.” 

  
  


“but… but he was walkin’  _ away _ ! why would he even kill da female after impregnating her? wha’s da point ta tryin’ so hard ta get her den?” Sans just doesn't understand the way of creatures who do this sort of thing. Sans and his species has permanent mates, mate for life, be together forever until the day you die.

 

Sans hid his face in Red’s neck, pouting. “dats so mean.” He whined, not liking how the world works. Like when something bad happens and the person can’t really call it injustice because it was considered a normal thing. Cruel but it was sadly just the way of life. 

  
  


“well, ‘s dangerous not ta,” Red simply responded with a shrug. He held Sans a little closer, slowly starting to climb back down the tree. “if the female lives there’ll be ‘nough eggs ta replace anyone. it works.”

  
  


Sans just hummed unsatisfied, holding onto Red as the other goes down. He looks around as he does so, seeing something glimmer in the distance, almost hiding behind the trees in their angle. “wha’s dat?” Sans points, his own way of saying ‘go over there’.

  
  


Red eyed to where Sans had pointed, seeing the glimmer as well. It looked like some kind of bog, or even a lake maybe. “ya see it?” Red asked, reaching the bottom of the tree and already crawling towards it. He held Sans close all the while, making sure he wasn’t scraping over the ground and instead safe and comfortable in his arms, with only a few tentacles on him.


	9. the coconut is not a nut! la la la la~

“ye, it’s right d’ere.” Sans pointed ahead, leaning a bit towards where the glimmering hid. When he he was close enough, they realized it was just a murky pond, the sun reflecting a little of the surface. You couldn’t really see what was swimming inside, but Sans didn’t think it was anything dangerous if there was. “put me in, ‘m gettin’ a little dry.” Sans told the octopus.

 

Sans turned to Red, patting one of the tentacles to let him go.

  
  


But Red didn’t exactly like the sight of that. It was muddier than the ocean water he was used to, looked like it was mixed with dirt and sludge. It didn’t look clean, and who knew what was hiding in land-water?    
  
“i don’ like it.” Red said stubbornly. “not putting ya in there. we can go back ta the ocean?”

  
  


Sans gave him a look, like he thought Red was too strict, too uptight. “i think i’s fine, com'on red. ‘m dryin’ up, water is  _ right  _ here.” Sans gestured to the pond right there, in front of them, looking oh so innocently. 

 

The small mermaid didn’t really see a problem with it, it looked fine, the water was still, meaning there was either no fish in the pond or they were all still and calm. What was the big deal? Maybe even Sans could find a new race of fish, something unique and new. Sans would like it very much. 

 

And maybe… Sans wanted to know how the murky water felt like, how it felt to be in different kinds of water. Land water. How different would it feel from the big blue ocean that was his home?

  
  


Red was grumbling, clearly still unhappy with it. But he wrapped his tentacles around Sans so he could hold him on his chest, carefully lowering him into the murky water, watching with curious and suspiciously. Before quickly pulling him back up, not risking any harm to his little mermaid.

  
  


Sans made a yelp from the sudden jerk upwards, his head feeling a little light. Thankfully it went away just as quickly as it came, Sans easily able to brush it off to be able to see the small little fish on his lap. It could fit into Sans’ hand, the little creature wiggling about from suddenly being out of water. “awww, it’s a little baby!” Sans cooed, lifting the fish up to his face, smiling down at the little thing.

 

Until he saw it’s teeth…

 

They were razor sharp, the jaws looked powerful and the eyes looked like it saw murder. It was a piranha, and the movement Sans caused by being dunked in the water woke the rest up. Sans curled his tail away from the water to avoid the little demons biting his tail.

 

Sans quickly threw the fish back into the water like it burned him, pressing up to Red so the other could protect him.

  
  


There were small fish trying to leap up and snatch onto Sans’ tail, some actually reaching Red’s tentacles, teeth digging into them. But Red reacted quickly, scooting away from the pond, his tentacle slamming the piranhas onto the ground repeatedly, until its jaw went slack and the piranha laid still there. Red glared at the water like it betrayed him, yet he’d  _ known. _

 

“no more land-water for ya,” Red huffed, holding Sans close and scooting in a big curve around the pond, trying to get as far away from it at possible.

  
  


Sans frowned as Red took him away, guilt written on his face. “sorry…” Sans muttered, looking to the side so he wouldn’t see Red’s ‘I told you so’ face. Sans’ gaze went over to Red’s tentacles, the bite marks littering some of the. Boy, he fucked up, and Red had to pay for it. “i can heal dat,” Sans offered lightly, hoping it would at least make it up.

 

Damn, Sans has been messing up a lot today. He wasn’t being careful or considerate to the land creatures. Imitating mating dances, underestimating the wildlife, which cost Red to get hurt.

  
  


But Red didn’t have an ‘I told you so’ face. Red hardly even cared that he got hurt, he was pouting because  _ Sans _ almost got hurt and he didn’t want it to happen again.

 

Red’s own gaze got slowly drawn to the little bite wound, like he hadn’t even noticed it was there. “‘s not that bad,” he told Sans, but he still lifted his tentacle up to him, curling gently around the mermaid, with the bitten tip in front of his face.

 

“bu’ ya can heal it if… ‘s no problem.”

  
  


Sans gently took the tentacle in his hands, petting the hurt area softly, almost to feel how hurt it was and to also smooth the poor injured area. As Sans gently caressed it, his tail started to glow as magic started to flow through his arms to his hands. The bite marks slowly disappeared, the other bite marks on Red's other tentacles also disappearing. Once they were all healed, Sans gave the tentacle in his hands a smooch, all the pain and healing magic vanishing the instant he did.

 

“d'ere,” Sans whispered, petting the tentacle lightly. “all better.” 

  
  


Red had been unable to decide what he wanted to watch, the beautifully glowing tail or the way Sans so carefully caressed his tail. He was enamored by this mermaid, fascinated by how any creature could be  _ this _ beautiful…

 

“yer fascinating,” Red hummed, his tentacles wrapping around Sans slowly, more and more, like he couldn’t get enough of him, his arms, too, were on him. “are ya hurt anywhere? are ya ok?”

  
  


Sans shook his head a little more violently than he should have, mostly due to the fact that Sans was trying to hide his blush with his quick movements. “ner. ‘m not, don' worry so much. 

 

The ocean was in view, the small skeleton slowly realizing that Red intended to take Sans back. “wait! i still wanna do things!” Sans waved his arms a little in front of Red's vision to get his attention.

  
  


Red almost looked like he deflated a little at that. The land was making him anxious, and their little rendezvous with the piranhas hadn’t exactly helped him calm down on the matter. But he nodded, looking at Sans curiously.

 

“where to?” He asked, already looking for any other place. Anywhere where there  _ weren’t _ piranhas, that Sans would be interested in.

  
  


Sans pointed to the trees again, but this time pointing to something more specific. “i heard d'ere are things growing here ya can eat. like coconuts and bananas, i wanna try them.” 

 

And indeed there were things growing, round brown shells hanging from some trees, like some have clumps of long yellow fruit. 

  
  


Red knew of coconuts. They would fall into the ocean often, when he was a young octopus he would use them for protection sometimes, before he had a den. Though he didn’t know one could  _ eat _ them.

 

“...alright,” the octopus mused, looking up at the trees, wondering how he would  _ open _ something like the coconut… But even before he could do  _ that, _ Sans was more important. The mermaid was slowly starting to dry up, not made for being on land for long. Red would be fine without water for quite a while, but a sensitive mermaid like Sans was a whole different story…

 

He crawled to a sandy stream, the water barely any deeper than an inch. Though it seemed to have been connected to the muddy pond, the water was a lot clearer here and almost free of any fish, only a few small ones rushing by every once in a while.

 

Red placed him down gently, tentacles drawing away from Sans so slowly one could almost think Red didn’t want to let go.

 

Oh wait.

 

He  _ didn’t. _

 

“stay here, k?” Red asked, his tone serious. “i’ll get ya the food.”

  
  


Sans nodded, rolling around a little to get all sides to touch the water. “kay.” Sans chirped, laying down lazily after he felt refreshed enough. Already swishing his tail back and forth at the thought of Red climbing up a tree again, only this time he will have a new angle.

  
  


Red was hesitant to leave Sans alone, turning back to look at Sans every time he got a little further away, until he reached one of the trees. It was the one with the coconuts, though the banana tree was right next to it. If he was clever about it he could just reach from one tree to the other.

 

He began climbing again, the process now easier with more tentacles to use and less weight to carry. His suckers held onto the bark, pulling him up the tree steadily. The rough bark scraped on his soft skin, but it didn’t really bother him.

 

He picked two coconuts once he reached the top, struggling a little to tug them off. With the coconuts in his tentacles he went to a particularly sturdy branch, using it as a bridge to reach the next tree. There he tugged off a whole strand of bananas, the fruits weighing more than Red had expected, causing him to lose his grip. And fall.

  
  


Sans gasped, already wiggling himself out from the stream and dragging himself towards Red, though he wasn’t going really far. “red!”

  
  


But Red caught himself quickly, tentacles wrapping around the tree once more, holding him still. His souls were beating in shock, eyes wide. He crawled back down quickly, but carefully, having had enough of this stupid air and land bullshit. No thanks! He preferred his water to swim.

  
  


Sans sighed, laying on the sand tiredly, his body was out from the stream, with not even his tail touching it. Welp, might as well go all the way? Sans continued to drag himself across the sand, the warm sand rubbing against his fragile scales. “ya okay, red?” Sans asked.

  
  


In reply Red just let out an exhausted grunt, crawling towards Sans. He picked the small mermaid up wordlessly, carrying him back to the stream where he, too, soaked up in the nice, welcoming wetness. Finally something he knew. Finally something he was used to. He placed Sans back down, handing him the strand of bananas and the two coconuts.

 

“got yer weird land food,” he mumbled. Before slowly, quietly adding, “yea… ‘m ok.”

  
  


Sans had a hard time believing that, the way Red seemed to sulk and needed some time before he would even answer. But Sasn decided to leave him, Red has been through enough to be let a pass. “thank ya!” Sans still gave him a smile though, he was grateful for the exciting day.

 

Sans broke open one of the bananas, excitedly giving Red the other half as Sans ate his half, peel and all. “hmm,” Sans said curiously, letting the taste settle in. Huh, it wasn’t so bad. “i think i like it!” Sans finally decided.

  
  


Red himself was more wary about it, taking a careful bite off the green fruit. He didn’t exactly like the shell too much, though the soft, creamy insides tasted sweet and interesting. Okay… it didn’t taste  _ too _ bad. Which was good, because Red had picked them a whole strand of it, probably at least twenty or thirty fruits on it.

 

His eyes moved over to the coconuts. They didn’t come in bunches, only two separate fruits, and they had been a lot harder than the bananas. He picked one of them up with his tentacles, carefully trying to bite into the fruit. Only for his teeth to meet too much resistance to go through.

 

“wha’ ‘bout this one?” Red asked Sans curiously. “how do we eat it?”

  
  


Sans hummed in thought, taking the coconut and examining it carefully for any weak points. Huh, this was a tough  _ nut  _ to crack. Sans placed the coconut a little ways away from himself, before heaving his tail up and over the it. There, he slammed his powerful tail down on it, but nothing. It did nothing to the coconut and Sans’ tail was sore. 

 

Grumbling, Sans took the coconut back into his hold, almost glaring at it. “i don’ know…” And Sans really wanted to taste the water inside...

  
  


Red meanwhile was already gnawing on the other coconut, beak trying to pierce through the hard bark, but the most he managed to do was peel of some of the furry fuzz around it. He spat it out, getting the offending nut away from his beak again. Rude.

 

Without a warning Red curled a few tentacles around Sans, taking him with him as he began crawling out of the stream again. There were a few rocks on the other end of it, one of which Red placed his little mermaid on. He lifted the coconut still in his tentacle, before slamming it hard onto the stone with a loud grunt.

 

The shell broke, water spilling out of the fruit and onto the stone.

  
  


Sans hurried to use the broken shell to catch as much water as he could, using it as a bowl as the coconut water started to drip from the rock. Managing to save some, Sans sipping it carefully, getting a very pleased hum from the mermaid. Sans offered it to Red, a little excited for Red to try it. “taste it, i’s really good!”  

 

Sans wished the ocean water tasted like this, it would make it a thousands times better.

  
  


Red carefully picked up the shell, taking a small sip of the coconut water. Huh. “‘t really is good,” Red replied, sipping a bit more of it. He still left some for Sans, though there was still another coconut left anyways. “wan’ me ta crack that one, ta?” Red asked, one tentacle sliding to pick up the abandoned nut.

  
  


Sans let Red have it, slurping up the rest of the water before picking at the white part. He heard the white part could be eaten, too… “be a little gentler, ta get more water.” Sans suggested, his teeth scraping off the white off the shell. That’s not bad either, nice.

  
  


Red nodded. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to ‘gently slam the fucking nut into oblivion,’ but he might as well try. By the end of his few futile tries of gently petting the nut against the rock he got frustrated, giving it a good slam again until it cracked. Though he was more careful this time, quickly catching the water in the two almost halves. 

 

He looked at Sans excitedly, proud of himself, showing off the almost perfect halves. “‘s this good!?” He asked him, eyes wide and excited for approval.

  
  


Sans gasped, taking one half. “i’s more dan good, i’s  _ great _ !” Red even managed to get a lot more of the water, the coconut broken nicely so it would be perfect from drinking out of. Sans started to drink from his half, fully enjoying the amazing taste. 

 

They should come here more often! The coconut juice alone maes Sans want to come back everyday, though opening it would be a chore…

  
  


Red brightened, feeling proud and happy at the praise. He drank from his own half, the fruity sweet taste growing on him. It wasn’t all that bad. But unlike Sans, Red would still prefer to stay underwater where they belonged…

 

“can we go back…?” Red finally asked after finishing his coconut water. His clawed hands were scraping a little at the white meat, having seen Sans chew it off a earlier, eating the scraps and pieces he did managed to get off.

  
  


Sans nodded, feeling this day ended in success. “yeah, thank ya red!” Sans said, smiling brightly at the large octopus. Downing the rest of the coconut water while also trying to savor the taste, before grabbing as many fruits as possible to take with them. Hands full of food, Sans gave Red a nod. “‘m ready!”

  
  


Red nodded. He grabbed the few fruits Sans couldn’t carry anymore, then Sans himself, before making his way back to the welcoming ocean.

 

Oh how good the familiar salt water felt on his skin. How good it felt to be  _ swimming _ again, floating through the water with ease, the water carrying his weight. He curled his tentacles happily, before shooting them away from his body, bursting through the water in one rapid push, the feeling of the current against him making him feel lively and happy.

 

He really loved being a water creature.

 

“back home?” Red asked as he was already heading towards their den.

  
  


Sans frowned a little at the thought of the gorge, never liking how deep and dark it was to get there. Yeah, the den itself got better after Red put the glowing corals there, but Sans still had to rely on Red getting him there. Sans doesn’t know how to get in, only out, besides, the darkness is really scary. Sans knew there were other predators in there, and Sans was scared they will come out of nowhere and jump at him.

 

Sans subconsciously pressed himself closer to Red, letting out a quiet. “sure,” his tail trying to wrap around one of Red’s tentacles as he relaxed in the other’s grip.

 

Red was safe.

 

Red was really nice when you stop to get to know him, and most of all. He cared about Sans and his safety. 

 

Sans smiled at the thought.

**Author's Note:**

> check out our [discord](https://discord.gg/79zKXhU) and [my (gaylie's)](https://perhapshomo.tumblr.com) and [comic's](https://comic4244.tumblr.com) tumblrs!


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